My List of Observed Comets:

The Evolution of a

Comet Hunter & Observer
Beginning with my 4 1/2 inch Bauch & Lomb newtonian ("Newton") these are the telescopes that helped me observe the listed comets. My second telescope, an 8 inch f/8 ("Wm Herschel") was constructed with the help of the members of the Astronomical Society of Southern New England. My third and finel telescope is the 10 inch, Meade "STARFINDER" ("J. H. Metcalf with "Newton") .
    It was not until about the time of 103PHartley 2 (1991) that I became an active member of the International Comet Quarterly, and began understanding and using the terms and methods for observing and reporting my comet observations. Having had experience with Variable Stars and making estimates of their magnitudes, I had little trouble in that area, and knowing the diameters of my lenses fields of view I had little trouble there as well. It was estimating the "Degree of condensation", or differentiating between the the central condensation and false nucleus, that took some time to understand, as I found out later so had many other observers.

Some Comet People I've Met  or Speak With

 My Faverate Observing & Hunting Ground :

    When I lived in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, not far from Taunton, my home was not far from this site bit I never knew of it since at home I was able to pull my scope out from a small shed in the backyard.  After moving to Taunton I was forced to seek out a new observing site.  This field, I call "Bob's Field" is the closest and darkest site within 20 minutes of home.  The northern sky can yield (with some work) naked-eye magnitudes of between 5.5 and 6.0.  The eastern horizon can yield down to about the same, as well as the southeast.  The south is not too bad granting 5th magnitude.  But the western horizon is not very good with Providence, Rhode Island about 20 miles away.

Dates-------------Mag---#Obs.-------------Comet------------Desig.-..# Comet---


From: 08/10/89     4.5     10          23P/Brorsen-Metcalf             1989o          1
To: 09/04/89
Comments: Period: 73.11 yrs., 20' tail at p.a. 310*

From: 09/24/89     7.9     14          Okazaki-Levy-Rudenko         1989r          2
To: 10/13/89
Comments: Bluish coma

From: 11/11/89     5.0       8       Post Conjunction of O-L-R        1989r
To: 11/24/89
Comments: Faint tail at p.a. 320*


From: 11/26/89     8.0        2         Arrseth-Brewington                  1989a1      3
To: 11/29/89
Comments:

From: 04/19/90     3.0      13                 Austin                              1989e1      4
To:  06/02/90
Comments: Very bright Coma with a 30' tail NW

From: 06/22/90     3.0     47                  Levy                                  1990c       5
To: 09/15/90
Comments: Very bright fan-coma with type I and II tails

From: 08/27/90     8.9     5           45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajusakova  1990f      6
To: 09/25/90
Comments: Small tail, Period: 5.30yrs.

From: 09/18/90     6.1     14                                 2P/Encke                             7
To: 10/17/90
Comments: Very diffuse central condensation and coma. Period: 3.28yrs.

From: 10/16/90     7.2       5                          Tsuchiya-Kiuchi         1990i       8
To: 11/28/90
Comments:10' tail at p.a. 270*

From: 01/05/91     9.0       1                          After Perihelion          1990i

From: 01/05/91     9.0     22                          Post Perihelion           1990c
To: 01/17/91
Comments: Fan-coma extending from p.a. 165*

From: 01/10/91     9.0      4                   97P/Metcalf-Brewington     1991a      9
To: 01/17/91
Comments: Short outburst, Period: 7.76yrs.                                                            A great link for 97P's Ephemerid
 


From: 06/22/91     8.5     17                                   P/Levy                 1991q    10
To: 09/12/91
Comments: Bright central condensation, coma extended from p.a. 105*. Period: 50yrs.

From: 08/07/91     8.7    21                              103P/Hartley 2           1991t    11
To: 10/19/91
Comments: Extended maximum brightness.  Period: 6.26yrs.

From: 10/04/91     9.6      6                                  4P/Fay                   1991n     12
To: 10/13/91
Comments: Stellar central condensation.  Period: 7.34yrs.

From: 01/09/92     8.5     3                      Zanotta-Brewington            1991q1  13
To: 01/29/91
Comments:

From: 04/13/91     7.6     12                    Tanaka-Machholz               1991d    14
To:  05/30/91
Comments: Outburst of one magnitude (05/21/1991)

From: 06/11/91     7.4     23                    Shoemaker-Levy                 1991a1  15
To: 08/02/91
Comments: Occultion of star.

From: 10/05/91     4.6     32                    109P/Swift-Tuttle                1992t      16
To: 12/20/91
Comments: Active nucleus, fork-tail.  Period: 135.29yrs.

Compleation of the 8 inch f/8 "Wm Herschel"
From: 01/23/93     9.4     22                  24P/Schawmass                     1992x     17
To: 03/27/93
Comments: Period: 8.22 yrs.

From: 10/07/93     10.2     9                          Mueller                          1993p     18
To: 01/08/94
Comments:

From: 10/19/93     9.1     31                          Mueller                          1993a     19
To: 01/09/94
Comments:

From: 12/23/93     11.2     7         31P/Schwassmenn-Wachmann 2                  20
To: 03/05/93
Comments: Period: 6.39 yrs.

From: 12/31/93     9.2     4                          2P/Encke                          1994       21
To: 01/08/94
Comments: Period: 3.29 yrs.

From: 03/12/94     6.4     20             McNaught-Russell                      1993v   22
To: 05/11/94
Comments: Extremely diffuse.

 From: 04/01/94     9.7     9                         9P/Tempel 1                     1993c     23
To:  06/11/94
Comments: Early maximum brightness.  Period: 5.50 yrs.

From: 04/23/94     8.5     18                     Takamizawa-Levy               1994f     24
To: 07/27/94
Comments: Bright stellar nucleus and tail.

From: 05/10/94     9.4     6                              Takamizawa                  1994i    25
To: 06/04/94
Comments:

From: 07/13/94     9.2     10          Nakamura-Nishimura-Machholz   1994m  26
To:09/07/94
Comments:

From: 07/28/94     7.3     13                         P/Machholz 2                  1994o   27
To: 10/07/94
Comments: Outburst of two magnitudes, split nucleus. Period: 5.44 yrs.

From: 08/06/94     8.5     10                          91P/Borrelly                    1994l   28
To: 01/05/95
Comments: Elongated nucleus.  Period: 6.88 yrs.

From: 08/01/95     8.0     13                          6P/d'Arrest                                  29
To: 09/04/95
Comments: Outburst of one magnitude.  Period: 6.51 yrs.

From: 08/14/95     10.2     7                          Hale-Bopp                    1995o1   30
To: 10/20/95
Comments: Variable nucleus: stellar to diffuse.(Observations for 1995.)= 1st Obs. Continued on April 22, 1996

From: 09/28/95     5.2     22                      122P/de Vico                    1995s1   31
To: 11/10/95
Comments:1.5* tail,very bright disk-type nuclear region.  Period: 74.36 yrs.

From: 09/28/95     7.5     7                            Bradfield                       1995q1  32
To: 10/29/95
Comments:

From: 01/20/96     8.5     5                           Hyakutake                   1995Y1   33
To: 02/10/96
Comments:

From: 12/29/95     7.0     3             45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova              34
To: 02/01/96
Comments: Period=5.27yrs                                    See 1990f for observations

 From: 02/10/96     8.9     2                          Szczeponski                  1996B1   35
To: 02/13/96
Comments:

From: 02/10/96     0.5     34                 Hyakutake                          1996B2  36                Using 10x50s
To: 03/27/96
Comments: This comet was (in my opinion) a Great Comet.  The detail that I was able to resolve using the 10" f/4.5 and the 60cm f/400 was totally outstanding.  Because of my moving to Taunton, Mass. observations were greatly hindered.  Slightly more than 34 obs. were made.  However, only the 34 were recorded.  If all of the recorded observations are not found in the index file, the rest will be located in the folder file.

(cont. from 10/20/95)
Post Conjunction Observations of C/1995o1 (Hale-Bopp)
From: 04/22/96
To: 10/18/1996
Comments: Photographs taken on October 6th (8:00pm) using a 135mm lens at f/4 w/doubler = 270mm lens at f/8.
22 observations of the comet. Maximum magnitude:4.8

From: 05/18/96     8.2     6                  22P/Kopff                               1996      37
To: 07/12/96
Comments: Period = 6.4 years.

From: 08/11/96     7.8     6                  Brewington                           1996N1   38
To: 09/01/96
Comments: This comet was first observed while it was undergoing an
outburst of almost two magnitudes (unbenounced to this observer).
It's projected magnitude for 08/11/96 was between 9.5 and 9.9, my
estimate was 7.9, six observations were made. Maximum magnitude:7.8

From: 09/11/96     5.0     11                      Tabur                            1996Q1     39
To: 11/11/96
Comments: (For historical data see Sky & Telescope, November 1996)
Three or four photographs taken of the comet during the using the Pentex KM with a 135mm lens at f/4, exposures ranged from 1 minute, 1 1/2 minutes, 2 minutes, 3 minutes. October 5.30: 3 photographs taken using 270mm lens (135mm w/doubler) f/8 exposures were 2 minutes, 2 1/2 minutes 3 minutes.
This come had reached magnitude 5.5 earlier than predicted. Photographs taken on 10/08/ 4:30 am, 270mm f/8: 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 6 minutes. October 12.31(3:38am/07:38UT); Eleven photos ASA400) taken of the comet having a magnitude of 5.0, diam. 15'. Using a drive corrector trailing was still a slight problem for many. Seven of the eleven were good.
Those using the 135mm at f/4 were best, 270mm at f/5.6 was under exposed slightly. Need practice with corrector using 270mm. Attempted to observe 1996Q1 on the evening of November 1st but the comet was not visible. John Bortle reports through Sky-line that the comet has fizzled-down to 9th magnitude.  The comet is only a couple days from perihelion. Although this is not an unknown event as far as comets go, it is indeed a very rear event!! Last observation made was on November 11,1996. No comet was observed Maximum magnitude:5.0(10/18/1996)

From: 01/08/97     1.0      50                      Hale-Bopp                            1995o1                       POEM
To: 04/27/97
Comments: First observation was made on 01/08, while going to work
I stopped and took some photographs of it using my Pentex KM, with a 135mm lens and ASA1000 film, 25 - 30 sec. exposure. Shots came out very exposed because of the rising dawn, however, the comet did show of the print. I estimated the magnitude to be 3.0 at that time. On 01/09 was my first prepared observation using comparison stars and 10x50 binoculars. I estimated the comet at that time to be magnitude 2.5. John Bortle estimated 3.0 The first telescopic observation was on 01/12/, Hale-Bopp at that time was already showing sunward activity as small jets extended from the disk-type nuclear region. During the morning of 01/19/, 8 to 10 exposures were taken about 90 minutes before sunrise ...(02/03/) photos were developed yesterday with others taken during yesterday morning (5:00-5:30), photos from 01/09 were good for no tracking. Photos from the morning of the 2nd were tracked and came out beautiful. Used the crosshair lens from the 4.5" refl. Finder-scope.

From: 01/28/97     10.1     6                            81P/Wild 2                                  40
To: 06/  /97
Comments: conjunction with M95 in Leo.

From: 10/07/97     9.4       5                          Utsunomiya            C/1997 T1     41
To:11/03/97
Comments:

From:10/01/97     11.5     1(?)                    Meuniar-Dupouy    C/1997 J2       42
To:10/01/97
Comments: Suspected! Will resume observations after conjunction with the Sun.

From: 12/29/97     8.3   10                                3P/Heartley 2                           43
To:02/16/1998
Comments:

From: 01/25/98    10.2                               55P/Temple-Tuttle (1998)               44
To: 02/27/1998
Comments:

From: 09/17/98  ~11                                  21P/Giacobini-Zinner                     45
To:
Comments: First two observations the comet was highly suspected.

From: 9/17/98      10.5                                   Linear                (C/1998U5)       46
To:
Comments:

From: 12/9/98                                                Linear                (C/1998M5)      47
To:
Comments: first observation, faint and very diffuse

 

Last Up Dated: May 11th, 1999

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