On This Day (UT)

[fringe_dweller]

At around 6:25 am tomorrow/tuesday morning (31st jan) ACDST it will 10 years exactly since Yuji Hyakutake of Japan discovered Comet 1996 B2 (Hyakutake) {30 jan 1996 .83}.
I was hoping to do a token honourary comet observation of a different morning comet in rememberence of this great moment in recent-ish Amateur observational Astronomy, but sadly the weather does not want to co-operate.
They say that great comets turn up about once every ten years on average (of course that cant be taken literally - it can be 20 years or more between sometimes, and then have two in one year - or two in as few years as in '96 and '97)
But here's hoping :-)

[Greg Bryant]

Do I remember that discovery!

Shortly after Hyakutake's discovery, but before an orbit was first published, comet Hale-Bopp was recovered in the morning sky following solar conjunction. I rang Gordon Garradd that same morning to congratulate him on the recovery, only for him to give me the unpublished orbital predictions for Hyakutake. That was an eye-opener. I think it was the following day that the IAU circular came out with the first published orbit.

For those of us who had never seen a Great Comet (the last being West in 1976), we were blessed with what was arguably a once-in-a-millennium apparation.

[fringe_dweller]

Hi Greg,
Wow! - I think I heard about it first in the mags - LOL - still got them
yer now thats a very serious FUN! :-))))
When you realised the phase angle and the unusual and relatively long lasting close approach/proximity to earth (.10 au!!), plus very nice perihilion, and knew the heavans had aligned as they say, must of been awesome buzz!
When you say Millenium, you are refering to it being the most favourably positioned orbit/ close approach, in relation to earth for observers, of a comet in a thousand years, I assume ( I read that once (is that correct?))
I know there was more than a few? other comet hunters that would of snaffled it up if Yuji hadnt, within quick time too - including South Australian Bill Bradfield I think? Some claimed they just missed by a whisker or had close calls, from memory, or it was in their scheduled search fields for that following night. Many great stories related to this comet :-)
EDIT: also it was the BANG with which it arrived - when I read about it, it was probably only a month before close approach and we saw it at its best - no time to get dissappointed - action a plenty.
Also it was great to see one of those so called, unpopular, 'apple on a stick' gas comets up close - they really are very beautiful, we just dont see them close enough. Dont want them coming to close tho of course.
better stop there, were many freaky things about B2, as you well know!