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(meteorobs) Hale-Bopp March 9



Date: March 9/10, 1997 
 
Time: 2230 to 0000 UT
 
Location: 5th Floor apt, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA

Observer: Michael Boschat

Latitude: N 44d 39'

Longitude: W 63d 36'

Height above sea level: 58 meters

Limiting mag.: 5.0 

Seeing (1 to 5 - best to worst): 2

Instrument: Tento ( USSR made ) 10x50 binoculars, 80mm refractor f/11

Magnification: 48x

Object(s): Comet Hale-Bopp
 
                         
                         Description:

At 2235 UT I saw the comet with my 10x50's with the Sun 5 degrees below the
horizion!

At 2300 UT I turned my 80 mm refractor towards Hale-Bopp, using 48x I
could see 2 " arcs " in front of the white nucleus, which appeared almost
stellar looking but to me looked very slightly elongated.
Since it was still twilight this cut down on the galre of the comet
nucleus and was helpful seeing this deatil.
 I even tried filters, a #21 Orange filter seemed to make the " arcs " a bit
better and the dust tail stood out a bit more. But with the #58 Green
filter the detail was lost, only the nucleus and a faint trace of the
" arcs " were seen. I did not use them further.
The 2 tails curved away from the " arcs " like a painters soft brush strokes.

 -- E
\
 N                     / *))  <--- 2 arcs, white color 
                     /     /
                  //     ///
ion tail -- >    //     ////   <--- dust tail
               //     /////
                    //////

Note; I used a diagonal so the image should be flipped over with dust tail
      on left. 


Estimate of nucleus magnitude I put it at about -0.5 magnitude.

I took one last look at 0000 UT as the comet went behind a tree, yes
even on the 5th floor the trees are high!. I could see the tail to about
3 degrees with the naked eye and to 7 degrees with the 10x50's. 
At least it's getting better.

Clear skies
__________________________________________________________________
Michael Boschat ( Astronomer )    E-mail: andromed@atm.daldot ca
Atmospheric Sciences              Phone: (902) 494-7060
Dept. of Oceanography             FAX: (902) 494-2885
Dalhousie University              
Halifax, Nova Scotia 
CANADA, B3H 4J1          ASTRONOMY Web Page: http://www.atm.daldot ca/~andromed

                                           







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