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Re: (meteorobs) Comets and Meteors(!)



-- [ From: Robert Lunsford * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

> Did anyone get an image of Hale-Bopp and M31?  Are you willing to
share?  

There should be pics of HB and M31 available from the comet home page or
one of its links at

http://encke.jpl.nasadot gov
> 
> Is anyone plotting tail length?  Either predicted or actual?  
> 
Every time I view it from dark skies I plot the tail on copies of Atlas
Brno. These plots can later be measured for actual observed tail lengths
..

> At least so far, my impression is that Hale-Bopp is a great comet with
mediocre
> geometry.  Hyakutake, on the other hand, was a mediocre comet with
great
> geometry. 

I am getting a bit tired of the constant belittling of comet Hyakutake.
This was a nice object even after closest approach to Earth. It was a
fine comet and comparable to the best of the century.  If you want a
mediocre comet with great geometry try Iras-Araki-Alcock.
 
> And what is this affinity for closest approach near full moon?
 
This is just one of the many obstacles we observers have to endure!

> Hale-Bopp's period has been changed from 4200 years to 2380 years.
What are the
> major contributors to this change?  Out-gassing jets? Planetary
gravitation? 
> If so, which one(s)?  Also, which planet did/will Hale-Bopp come
closest to?
> 
HB passed close to Jupiter on its inbound journey. This encounter has
significantly shortened this orbital period.

> Looking ahead to this summer's Perseid shower, my astro' calendar says
it peaks
> early morning Aug. 12, and first quarter moon is Aug. 11. Can someone
out there
> refine the times for the Perseid peaks, both traditional and the new
peak,
> expressed in UT, and provide moon rise/set times for lat 47.2516785
long
> -120.5761414 on Aug 9-12. 

Aug 9/10 moonset   11:16 pm

Aug 10/11 moonset   11:46 pm

Aug 11/12 moonset   12:21 am

Aug 12/13 moonset   01:02 am


New Peak Maximum: 06:00 UT August 12  (11:00 pm PDT August 11)

Traditional Maximum: 18:00 UT August 12  (11:00 am PDT August 12)


Bob Lunsford

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