[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Hale/Bopp from John Bortle
I just pulled this posting by John Bortle off aol's bulletin board...thought
you all might find it interesting?
George Zay
---------------
Subj: Hale-Bopp on Feb. 16th
Date: 97-02-16 10:10:08 EST
From: JBortle
February 16.42UT: Coma's magnitude (m1) = 1.5 with unaided eye, while the
nucleus appears like a 2.8 magnitude star imbedded within it. 7x50B show a
7.5 degree ion tail in p.a. 316 (NW) and a 5 degree long dust tail toward the
SW. 16-inch reflector @170x shows two subsidiary nuclei or mass ejections,
the first 9" from the primary nucleus in p.a.195 (S), the other 21" from the
nucleus in p.a. 225 (SW). These are at opposite edges of the bright dust
fountain coming off the primary nucleus. Comet followed telescopically until
14 minutes before sunrise.
J.Bortle