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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1044      1996 Feb 04 15.50UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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COMET C/1996 B2 (HYAKUTAKE)
Martin Mobberley, Assistant Editor reports:

"Guy Hurst has just informed me of the encouraging orbital
circumstances for the new Comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2, discovered
last week. The comet should become a very nice object in March. At
Guy's request I have looked at the observing opportunities in
detail:-

The Comet will be moving slowly North-East from the middle of Feb
to early March. By March 12th it should be a 5th mag object S.E.
of Spica in the morning sky and 0.5 AU from Earth.

By March 18th it will be East of Spica, still in the morning sky
at around mag 3.8 and only 0.3 AU from Earth.

My March 21st the Comet is moving steadily North and crosses into
the Northern Hemisphere to the NE of Spica. It will be 0.21 AU
from Earth and on current prediction should be mag 2.8.

The Comet makes a close approach to Earth on March 27.0 at a
distance of only 0.109 AU. It will then be moving at 17 degrees
per day due North and should shine at mag 0.9 !!!

On March 29.0 the comet's declination peaks at +82 degrees!

The Moon should be avoidable in the morning sky up to about March
30th when the waxing gibbous Moon sets at 03.31 UT, the end of
-18 degree astro-twilight.

By the end of March (25/26/27) the Comet should be at THE ZENITH
(!!!) around 02.30 am or so and moving rapidly through Northern
constellations like Ursa Major etc..

Weather permitting the Comet could then be a splendid sight and
the elongation is favourable (70 - 90 degrees) as regards a
tail.

The almost-Full Moon moves 'unavoidably' into the Morning
sky on March 31/April 1st but the comet by then will be better
as an evening object. It then sinks lower into the Northern
horizon.

It will still be observable for a while but by the time of the next
New Moon we will have seen the best. An extra observing window
might be obtained during the night of April 3-4 when a total
lunar eclipse takes place.

Unfortunately, the comet, reaching Perihelion of only
0.2243 AU on May 2.769 will probably be unimpressive as the
elongation will only be 8 degrees. However, comets can become
particularly spectacular at this sort of 'q' so it will certainly
be worth keeping track of!"

Guy M Hurst