Comet Hale-Bopp:
Table of observational data
|
DATE |
m1 |
Observed Magnitude |
Coma Diameter |
Tail Length (° ) |
Max Tail Width (° ) |
(° ) |
Notes |
|
1996 |
|||||||
|
9 Jun |
+ 6.3 |
~ + 9.3 |
1’.6 |
|
|
10 (coma) |
DC = 2 |
|
16 Jun |
+ 6.3 |
+ 8.2 ± 0.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 Jul |
+ 5.7 |
+ 7.5 to 8.0 |
(5’.1 ± 0.3) x 2’.0 |
|
|
N-S (coma) |
Comet at Opposition |
|
15 Jul |
+ 5.6 |
~ + 6.0 |
|
|
|
N-S (coma) |
|
|
16 Jul |
+ 5.6 |
+ 6.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 Aug |
+ 5.3 |
+ 6.7 ± 0.2 |
4’.7 ± 1.2 |
|
|
N-S (coma) |
DC = 5 |
|
17 Aug |
+ 5.1 |
+ 6.3 |
5’.5 x 3.6 |
|
|
N-S (coma) |
|
|
1997 |
|||||||
|
26 Jan |
+ 1.2 |
+ 3.7 ± 0.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 Feb |
+ 1.3 |
+ 3.0 ± 0.2 |
|
|
|
315 (coma) |
DC = 6? |
|
20 Feb |
+ 1.5 |
~ + 2.5 |
|
0.5 |
|
295 |
Tail first observed |
|
10 Mar |
+ 0.4 |
~ + 1.3 to 2.2 |
|
1.6 |
|
|
DC = 8? |
|
18 Mar |
- 1.6 |
|
|
3.2 |
|
330 |
|
|
19 Mar |
- 1.6 |
- 0.5 |
|
3.2 |
4.5 |
332 |
DC = 7 to 8 |
|
23 Mar |
- 1.7 |
|
|
{1.9} |
|
|
Thin cloud layers |
|
24 Mar |
-1.7 |
- 1 |
|
5.2 to 5.8 (dust) 3.5 (gas) |
1.0 (dust) 0.6 (gas) |
354 to 308 (dust) 358 (gas) |
|
|
28 Mar |
- 1.8 |
|
|
5.7 |
1.3 |
0 to 315 |
|
|
29 Mar |
- 1.8 |
|
7’.0 to 7’.3 |
5.2 (dust) 4.2 (gas) |
1.1 |
0 to 324 (dust) 5 (gas) |
Shells observed |
|
30 Mar |
- 1.8 |
|
|
7.5 (dust) 6.0 (gas) |
2.2 |
351 to 300 (dust) 18 (gas) |
|
|
31 Mar |
- 1.7 |
|
9’.1 ± 1.3 |
3.7 (dust) 3.3 (gas) |
1.5 |
0 to 332 (dust) 38 (gas) |
Shells observed |
|
1 Apr |
- 1.7 |
|
|
2.9 |
|
323 |
Haze / Light Pollution. Comet at opposition |
|
3 Apr |
- 1.7 |
|
|
6.5 (dust) 4.1 (gas) |
2.1 |
7 to 327 |
|
|
9 Apr |
- 1.6 |
|
|
6.2 (dust) 5.1 (gas) |
2.7 |
23 to 329 |
|
|
10 Apr |
- 1.5 |
|
|
7.7 (dust) 4.9 (gas) |
2.6 |
|
|
|
12 Apr |
- 1.5 |
|
10’.4 ± 1.3 |
6 |
|
|
|
The value m1 is the predicted apparent visual magnitude as listed in the British Astronomical Association (BAA) Circulars. These are themselves taken from circulars issued by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
(The data listed here are from personal observations and they are likely to differ from those given in other sources).
Copyright M J Powell October 2001