The following table gives the positions of comet Hale-Bopp during early 1997 as seen from the specified place. The period covered is 16 February through 31 July. Morning viewing dates are listed first, followed by evening viewing dates. The morning viewing data are for the beginning of astronomical twilight; the evening viewing data are for the end of astronomical twilight. On days without moonlight interference, these times will be the most favorable for viewing the comet - it will be at its maximum altitude in a completely dark sky. Only dates on which the comet is at least 5 degrees above the horizon at these times are listed.
The columns are, from left to right: date and time in Universal Time; date and time in local zone time; apparent right ascension; apparent declination; altitude above the horizon; azimuth (measured eastward from north); total visual magnitude; moonlight interference indicator ("M" when Moon is above the horizon); and the Moon's phase.
Daylight time begins in the U.S. on 6 April and this is reflected in the local zone time for U.S. cities and towns (if Form A was used for input).
The comet is at conjunction in right ascension with the Sun on 21 March, that is, it passes directly north of the Sun in the sky on that day, moving eastward. This marks the time at which the comet moves from the morning sky to the evening sky, although at middle northern latitudes there are at least a few days around 21 March when the comet is visible both morning and evening. The viewing opportunities tend to increase with latitude, and for the northern U.S. and Europe and almost all of Canada the comet is circumpolar for some period of time.
At high latitudes in the spring there is a date after which astronomical twilight lasts all night. For these places and dates, the data are tabulated for astronomical midnight, when the Sun is at lower transit and the sky brightness is at a minimum. This is indicated by an "m" symbol (for midnight) next to the local time.
The comet right ascensions, declinations, and magnitudes are based on the JPL ephemeris of 27 January 1997 by D. K. Yeomans.
See also Hale-Bopp observing notes.
COMET HALE-BOPP -- EARLY 1997
POSITIONS FOR ING TELESCOPES
LON -17.9 LAT +28.8
Morning Observation Times -- Beginning of Astronomical Twilight
UT date/time Local date/time RA Dec Alt Az Mag Moon Phase
h m o o o
FEB 16 6:30 FEB 16 6:30 20 25 +24.1 19.3 72 1.8
FEB 17 6:29 FEB 17 6:29 20 29 +24.8 19.4 72 1.7
FEB 18 6:28 FEB 18 6:28 20 33 +25.5 19.6 71 1.6
FEB 19 6:27 FEB 19 6:27 20 37 +26.1 19.7 70 1.6
FEB 20 6:27 FEB 20 6:27 20 41 +26.8 19.8 70 1.5
FEB 21 6:26 FEB 21 6:26 20 45 +27.5 19.9 69 1.5 M
FEB 22 6:25 FEB 22 6:25 20 49 +28.3 19.9 68 1.4 M Full
FEB 23 6:24 FEB 23 6:24 20 53 +29.0 19.9 67 1.4 M
FEB 24 6:23 FEB 24 6:23 20 58 +29.7 19.9 66 1.3 M
FEB 25 6:22 FEB 25 6:22 21 03 +30.5 19.8 65 1.3 M
FEB 26 6:21 FEB 26 6:21 21 08 +31.2 19.7 64 1.2 M
FEB 27 6:20 FEB 27 6:20 21 13 +32.0 19.6 64 1.2 M
FEB 28 6:19 FEB 28 6:19 21 18 +32.7 19.4 63 1.1 M
MAR 1 6:18 MAR 1 6:18 21 23 +33.5 19.2 62 1.1 M
MAR 2 6:17 MAR 2 6:17 21 29 +34.2 19.0 61 1.0 M LQ
MAR 3 6:16 MAR 3 6:16 21 35 +35.0 18.7 60 1.0 M
MAR 4 6:15 MAR 4 6:15 21 41 +35.7 18.4 59 0.9 M
MAR 5 6:14 MAR 5 6:14 21 47 +36.5 18.0 58 0.9 M
MAR 6 6:13 MAR 6 6:13 21 54 +37.2 17.7 57 0.8 M
MAR 7 6:12 MAR 7 6:12 22 01 +38.0 17.2 56 0.8 M
MAR 8 6:11 MAR 8 6:11 22 08 +38.7 16.8 55 0.8
MAR 9 6:10 MAR 9 6:10 22 15 +39.4 16.3 54 0.7 New
MAR 10 6:09 MAR 10 6:09 22 23 +40.1 15.7 52 0.7
MAR 11 6:07 MAR 11 6:07 22 30 +40.7 15.1 51 0.6
MAR 12 6:06 MAR 12 6:06 22 38 +41.4 14.5 50 0.6
MAR 13 6:05 MAR 13 6:05 22 47 +42.0 13.9 49 0.6
MAR 14 6:04 MAR 14 6:04 22 55 +42.6 13.2 48 0.5
MAR 15 6:03 MAR 15 6:03 23 04 +43.1 12.4 47 0.5
MAR 16 6:02 MAR 16 6:02 23 13 +43.6 11.7 46 0.5 FQ
MAR 17 6:00 MAR 17 6:00 23 22 +44.1 10.9 45 0.5
MAR 18 5:59 MAR 18 5:59 23 32 +44.5 10.0 44 0.4
MAR 19 5:58 MAR 19 5:58 23 42 +44.8 9.2 43 0.4
MAR 20 5:57 MAR 20 5:57 23 51 +45.1 8.3 42 0.4
MAR 21 5:56 MAR 21 5:56 0 01 +45.4 7.4 42 0.4
MAR 22 5:54 MAR 22 5:54 0 11 +45.6 6.5 41 0.4 M
MAR 23 5:53 MAR 23 5:53 0 21 +45.7 5.5 40 0.4 M
Evening Observation Times -- End of Astronomical Twilight
UT date/time Local date/time RA Dec Alt Az Mag Moon Phase
h m o o o
MAR 19 20:41 MAR 19 20:41 23 48 +45.0 5.8 319 0.4 M
MAR 20 20:42 MAR 20 20:42 23 57 +45.3 6.7 319 0.4 M
MAR 21 20:42 MAR 21 20:42 0 07 +45.5 7.6 318 0.4 M
MAR 22 20:43 MAR 22 20:43 0 18 +45.7 8.5 318 0.4 M
MAR 23 20:44 MAR 23 20:44 0 28 +45.8 9.4 318 0.3 M Full
MAR 24 20:44 MAR 24 20:44 0 38 +45.8 10.2 317 0.3 M
MAR 25 20:45 MAR 25 20:45 0 48 +45.8 11.0 317 0.3
MAR 26 20:46 MAR 26 20:46 0 58 +45.7 11.8 316 0.3
MAR 27 20:46 MAR 27 20:46 1 08 +45.6 12.6 316 0.3
MAR 28 20:47 MAR 28 20:47 1 18 +45.4 13.3 315 0.3
MAR 29 20:48 MAR 29 20:48 1 27 +45.2 13.9 314 0.3
MAR 30 20:48 MAR 30 20:48 1 37 +44.9 14.6 314 0.4
MAR 31 20:49 MAR 31 20:49 1 46 +44.6 15.2 313 0.4 LQ
APR 1 20:50 APR 1 20:50 1 55 +44.2 15.7 312 0.4
APR 2 20:50 APR 2 20:50 2 04 +43.8 16.3 312 0.4
APR 3 20:51 APR 3 20:51 2 13 +43.3 16.7 311 0.4
APR 4 20:52 APR 4 20:52 2 21 +42.8 17.1 310 0.4
APR 5 20:52 APR 5 20:52 2 29 +42.3 17.5 309 0.4
APR 6 20:53 APR 6 20:53 2 37 +41.8 17.8 308 0.5
APR 7 20:54 APR 7 20:54 2 45 +41.2 18.1 308 0.5 New
APR 8 20:54 APR 8 20:54 2 52 +40.6 18.3 307 0.5
APR 9 20:55 APR 9 20:55 2 59 +40.0 18.5 306 0.6 M
APR 10 20:56 APR 10 20:56 3 06 +39.4 18.7 305 0.6 M
APR 11 20:57 APR 11 20:57 3 12 +38.7 18.8 305 0.6 M
APR 12 20:57 APR 12 20:57 3 19 +38.1 18.8 304 0.6 M
APR 13 20:58 APR 13 20:58 3 25 +37.4 18.8 303 0.7 M
APR 14 20:59 APR 14 20:59 3 30 +36.7 18.8 302 0.7 M FQ
APR 15 21:00 APR 15 21:00 3 36 +36.0 18.7 302 0.8 M
APR 16 21:00 APR 16 21:00 3 42 +35.3 18.5 301 0.8 M
APR 17 21:01 APR 17 21:01 3 47 +34.7 18.4 300 0.8 M
APR 18 21:02 APR 18 21:02 3 52 +34.0 18.2 299 0.9 M
APR 19 21:03 APR 19 21:03 3 57 +33.3 17.9 299 0.9 M
APR 20 21:04 APR 20 21:04 4 01 +32.6 17.6 298 1.0 M
APR 21 21:04 APR 21 21:04 4 06 +31.9 17.3 297 1.0 M
APR 22 21:05 APR 22 21:05 4 10 +31.3 17.0 297 1.0 M Full
APR 23 21:06 APR 23 21:06 4 14 +30.6 16.6 296 1.1 M
APR 24 21:07 APR 24 21:07 4 18 +29.9 16.2 296 1.1
APR 25 21:08 APR 25 21:08 4 22 +29.3 15.8 295 1.2
APR 26 21:08 APR 26 21:08 4 26 +28.6 15.3 295 1.2
APR 27 21:09 APR 27 21:09 4 30 +28.0 14.8 294 1.3
APR 28 21:10 APR 28 21:10 4 34 +27.3 14.3 294 1.3
APR 29 21:11 APR 29 21:11 4 37 +26.7 13.8 293 1.4 LQ
APR 30 21:12 APR 30 21:12 4 40 +26.1 13.2 293 1.4
MAY 1 21:13 MAY 1 21:13 4 44 +25.5 12.6 292 1.5
MAY 2 21:14 MAY 2 21:14 4 47 +24.8 12.1 292 1.5
MAY 3 21:14 MAY 3 21:14 4 50 +24.2 11.4 292 1.6
MAY 4 21:15 MAY 4 21:15 4 53 +23.6 10.8 291 1.6
MAY 5 21:16 MAY 5 21:16 4 56 +23.1 10.2 291 1.7
MAY 6 21:17 MAY 6 21:17 4 59 +22.5 9.5 291 1.7 New
MAY 7 21:18 MAY 7 21:18 5 01 +21.9 8.8 290 1.8
MAY 8 21:19 MAY 8 21:19 5 04 +21.3 8.1 290 1.8 M
MAY 9 21:20 MAY 9 21:20 5 07 +20.8 7.5 290 1.9 M
MAY 10 21:20 MAY 10 21:20 5 09 +20.2 6.7 289 1.9 M
MAY 11 21:21 MAY 11 21:21 5 12 +19.7 6.0 289 1.9 M
MAY 12 21:22 MAY 12 21:22 5 14 +19.2 5.3 289 2.0 M
M = Moon above horizon.