Comets Currently Visible

C/1999 Y1 (LINEAR) had a perihelion date of March 24, 2001 at a perihelion distance of 3.09 AU (MPC 40988). The comet is a Southern circumpolar object and is probably too faint for visual observers.

This comet has a perihelion date of April 30, 2002 at a distance of 3.54 AU (MPC43018). This comet is m1~13.0. It is not expected to change its brightness significantly through mid-2002. It is and will continue to be a north circumpolar object.

At the present time, the comet is 5.3 magnitude. The comet is well-placed for both hemispheres in the evening sky, but it will become an exclusively Southern Hemisphere object by mid-December as it races south. The comet will continue south and will reach peak brightness (~4.5 magnitude) in mid-January 2002, when it is at ~-54 or so degrees declination. The comet will then move northward giving both Northern and Southern Hemisphere observers the chance to watch the it fade.

The comet's perihelion date is 2002 Jan. 22.8 at a distance of 0.55 AU.

This comet has a perihelion distance of 1.25 AU on November 30, 2001 (MPC 43759). The comet is near its peak magnitude of 12.0 and it wil fade as it moves north as an evening object. The Southern Hemisphere is favored.

IAU Circular 7758 (November 21, 2001) announced the discover of a comet by the "Bisei Asteroid Tracking Telescope for Rapid Survey" (BATTERS) program. The orbit (MPEC 2001-X10) indicates a perihelion date of Dec 24, 2001 at a distance of 1.05 AU. The comet, which is m1~12.0, is in the evening sky heading for conjunction. It is not expected change in brightness significantly in the next few weeks. It is unlikely to be observed visually after conjunction.

It is rare these days when an amateur discovers a comet...it is even rarer when it happens to be a visual discovery and rarer still when it happens at a star party. Such was the case on Saturday night when Vance Avery Petriew discovered a comet during a star party at Cyprus Hills Interprovincial Park, Saskatchewan, Canada (IAUC 7686, August 19, 2001).

IAU Circular 7688 (August 21) states that the preliminary orbit for this comet indicates that it is periodic with perihelion of 0.95 AU, a perihelion date of September 2, 2001, and a period of 5.5 years. The elements suggest a close approach to Jupiter in 1982. The comet is fainter than 13.0 and will move south as a morning object as it fades.

The orbit (MPC 44030) indicates a perihelion date of November 9, 2001 at a distance of 1.4 AU. The comet peaked at ~11.0 and was last reported at ~11.5. It is in the morning sky and ti is expected to fade. Northern Hemisphere is favored.

This dust-rich periodic comet reached perihelion on Sept. 14, 2001 at a distance of 1.36 AU. The comet is ~11.5 and moving North in the morning sky. The Northern Hemisphere is favored. The comet will fade slowly.

This comet has outbursts to 11th magnitude and thus, should be monitored. It is heding for solar conjunction.