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(meteorobs) Feb. 9 Hale-Bopp
George et al -
You wrote:
> Using my 14X100 binoculars with it's 3.3 deg field, I estimate the comets
visible tail length to be near 1.7 >deg. As for magnitude, I again used Gamma
Cygni for my reference star. My magnitude estimate for the
>comet's nucleus and coma is in the range of 1.8 to 2.0. The nucleus still
appears circular. I can still see a >small gap directly behind the coma that
quickly gets sealed off where the 2 sides of the tail meets.
I saw the comet again this morning, bitter, bitter cold, about -25C again. I
estimated the tail length in my 7x35's at about 3 degrees. As to mag, I figured
it as fainter than Rasalhague's 2.1, and in fact, just about equal to Sadr's
2.2.
Cranked a batch of photos, camera and tripod. Too darn cold for long piggybacks
this morning.
View through a friend's 4" refractor showed similar detail to the previous
morning - very bright stellar nucleus, same bright jet orientation, dark area
behind head between the 2 tail portions. In binos, still the same 'chubby'
look, fat tail even close to the head.
Only advantage to wearing glasses was in taking them off for a mag estimate.
Most of the time I cursed them this morning as I kept breathing (whoops!) and
<frosting> them up! It was horribly cold on fingers, toes, cheekbones and nose,
and just about burned myself once with the cold on the tripod.... At least when
this comet is supposed to get good, it will be 4 weeks closer to summer..... :))
Nicest thing about this morning was that nice hot coffee over breakfast at the
local diner .... after seeing the comet!
- Cathy
Great White Cccccold North