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 SAN DIEGO, CA
LON -117.1 LAT +32.8
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 13:08 FEB 16 5:08 20 26 +24.3 20.7 74 1.8
FEB 17 13:07 FEB 17 5:07 20 30 +25.0 20.9 73 1.6
FEB 18 13:06 FEB 18 5:06 20 34 +25.6 21.1 72 1.6
FEB 19 13:05 FEB 19 5:05 20 38 +26.3 21.2 72 1.5
FEB 20 13:04 FEB 20 5:04 20 42 +27.0 21.3 71 1.5 M
FEB 21 13:03 FEB 21 5:03 20 46 +27.7 21.4 70 1.4 M
FEB 22 13:02 FEB 22 5:02 20 50 +28.5 21.4 69 1.4 M Full
FEB 23 13:01 FEB 23 5:01 20 55 +29.2 21.4 68 1.3 M
FEB 24 13:00 FEB 24 5:00 20 59 +29.9 21.4 67 1.3 M
FEB 25 12:59 FEB 25 4:59 21 04 +30.7 21.4 66 1.2 M
FEB 26 12:58 FEB 26 4:58 21 09 +31.4 21.3 66 1.2 M
FEB 27 12:57 FEB 27 4:57 21 14 +32.2 21.2 65 1.1 M
FEB 28 12:55 FEB 28 4:55 21 19 +32.9 21.1 64 1.1 M
MAR 1 12:54 MAR 1 4:54 21 25 +33.7 20.9 63 1.0 M
MAR 2 12:53 MAR 2 4:53 21 31 +34.4 20.7 62 1.0 M LQ
MAR 3 12:52 MAR 3 4:52 21 37 +35.2 20.4 61 0.9 M
MAR 4 12:51 MAR 4 4:51 21 43 +36.0 20.2 59 0.9 M
MAR 5 12:50 MAR 5 4:50 21 49 +36.7 19.8 58 0.8 M
MAR 6 12:48 MAR 6 4:48 21 56 +37.4 19.5 57 0.8 M
MAR 7 12:47 MAR 7 4:47 22 03 +38.2 19.1 56 0.8
MAR 8 12:46 MAR 8 4:46 22 10 +38.9 18.6 55 0.7
MAR 9 12:45 MAR 9 4:45 22 17 +39.6 18.1 54 0.7 New
MAR 10 12:43 MAR 10 4:43 22 25 +40.3 17.6 53 0.6
MAR 11 12:42 MAR 11 4:42 22 33 +40.9 17.1 52 0.6
MAR 12 12:41 MAR 12 4:41 22 41 +41.6 16.5 51 0.6
MAR 13 12:39 MAR 13 4:39 22 49 +42.1 15.8 50 0.5
MAR 14 12:38 MAR 14 4:38 22 58 +42.7 15.2 49 0.5
MAR 15 12:37 MAR 15 4:37 23 07 +43.2 14.5 47 0.5 FQ
MAR 16 12:35 MAR 16 4:35 23 16 +43.7 13.7 46 0.5
MAR 17 12:34 MAR 17 4:34 23 25 +44.2 13.0 45 0.4
MAR 18 12:33 MAR 18 4:33 23 35 +44.6 12.2 44 0.4
MAR 19 12:31 MAR 19 4:31 23 44 +44.9 11.3 43 0.4
MAR 20 12:30 MAR 20 4:30 23 54 +45.2 10.5 42 0.4
MAR 21 12:28 MAR 21 4:28 0 04 +45.4 9.6 41 0.4
MAR 22 12:27 MAR 22 4:27 0 14 +45.6 8.7 40 0.4 M
MAR 23 12:26 MAR 23 4:26 0 24 +45.7 7.7 39 0.3 M
MAR 24 12:24 MAR 24 4:24 0 34 +45.8 6.8 38 0.3 M Full
MAR 25 12:23 MAR 25 4:23 0 44 +45.8 5.8 38 0.3 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 16 3:19 MAR 15 19:19 23 12 +43.5 5.0 320 0.5 M FQ
MAR 17 3:20 MAR 16 19:20 23 21 +44.0 5.9 320 0.5 M
MAR 18 3:20 MAR 17 19:20 23 31 +44.4 6.8 320 0.4 M
MAR 19 3:21 MAR 18 19:21 23 41 +44.8 7.7 319 0.4 M
MAR 20 3:22 MAR 19 19:22 23 50 +45.1 8.5 319 0.4 M
MAR 21 3:23 MAR 20 19:23 0 00 +45.4 9.4 319 0.4 M
MAR 22 3:23 MAR 21 19:23 0 10 +45.6 10.3 318 0.4 M
MAR 23 3:24 MAR 22 19:24 0 20 +45.7 11.1 318 0.4 M
MAR 24 3:25 MAR 23 19:25 0 30 +45.8 11.9 317 0.3 M Full
MAR 25 3:26 MAR 24 19:26 0 41 +45.8 12.7 317 0.3 M
MAR 26 3:27 MAR 25 19:27 0 51 +45.8 13.4 316 0.3
MAR 27 3:28 MAR 26 19:28 1 01 +45.7 14.1 316 0.3
MAR 28 3:28 MAR 27 19:28 1 11 +45.6 14.8 315 0.3
MAR 29 3:29 MAR 28 19:29 1 20 +45.4 15.5 314 0.3
MAR 30 3:30 MAR 29 19:30 1 30 +45.1 16.1 314 0.3
MAR 31 3:31 MAR 30 19:31 1 39 +44.8 16.6 313 0.4
APR 1 3:32 MAR 31 19:32 1 49 +44.5 17.1 312 0.4 LQ
APR 2 3:33 APR 1 19:33 1 58 +44.1 17.6 312 0.4
APR 3 3:33 APR 2 19:33 2 06 +43.7 18.0 311 0.4
APR 4 3:34 APR 3 19:34 2 15 +43.2 18.4 310 0.4
APR 5 3:35 APR 4 19:35 2 23 +42.7 18.7 309 0.4
APR 6 3:36 APR 5 19:36 2 31 +42.2 19.0 309 0.4
APR 7 3:37 APR 6 20:37 2 39 +41.6 19.2 308 0.5 New
APR 8 3:38 APR 7 20:38 2 47 +41.0 19.4 307 0.5
APR 9 3:39 APR 8 20:39 2 54 +40.4 19.6 306 0.5 M
APR 10 3:40 APR 9 20:40 3 01 +39.8 19.6 305 0.6 M
APR 11 3:41 APR 10 20:41 3 08 +39.2 19.7 305 0.6 M
APR 12 3:42 APR 11 20:42 3 14 +38.5 19.7 304 0.6 M
APR 13 3:42 APR 12 20:42 3 20 +37.9 19.6 303 0.6 M
APR 14 3:43 APR 13 20:43 3 26 +37.2 19.5 302 0.7 M
APR 15 3:44 APR 14 20:44 3 32 +36.5 19.4 302 0.7 M FQ
APR 16 3:45 APR 15 20:45 3 38 +35.8 19.2 301 0.8 M
APR 17 3:46 APR 16 20:46 3 43 +35.2 18.9 300 0.8 M
APR 18 3:47 APR 17 20:47 3 48 +34.5 18.7 300 0.8 M
APR 19 3:48 APR 18 20:48 3 53 +33.8 18.4 299 0.9 M
APR 20 3:49 APR 19 20:49 3 58 +33.1 18.0 298 0.9 M
APR 21 3:50 APR 20 20:50 4 03 +32.4 17.7 298 1.0 M
APR 22 3:51 APR 21 20:51 4 07 +31.7 17.3 297 1.0 M
APR 23 3:52 APR 22 20:52 4 11 +31.1 16.8 297 1.0 M Full
APR 24 3:53 APR 23 20:53 4 16 +30.4 16.4 296 1.1 M
APR 25 3:54 APR 24 20:54 4 20 +29.7 15.9 296 1.1
APR 26 3:55 APR 25 20:55 4 24 +29.1 15.4 295 1.2
APR 27 3:56 APR 26 20:56 4 27 +28.4 14.8 295 1.2
APR 28 3:57 APR 27 20:57 4 31 +27.8 14.2 294 1.3
APR 29 3:58 APR 28 20:58 4 35 +27.1 13.7 294 1.3
APR 30 3:59 APR 29 20:59 4 38 +26.5 13.0 293 1.4 LQ
MAY 1 4:00 APR 30 21:00 4 41 +25.9 12.4 293 1.4
MAY 2 4:01 MAY 1 21:01 4 45 +25.3 11.8 293 1.5
MAY 3 4:02 MAY 2 21:02 4 48 +24.7 11.1 292 1.5
MAY 4 4:03 MAY 3 21:03 4 51 +24.1 10.4 292 1.6
MAY 5 4:04 MAY 4 21:04 4 54 +23.5 9.7 292 1.6
MAY 6 4:05 MAY 5 21:05 4 57 +22.9 9.0 292 1.7
MAY 7 4:06 MAY 6 21:06 4 59 +22.3 8.3 291 1.7 New
MAY 8 4:07 MAY 7 21:07 5 02 +21.7 7.6 291 1.8
MAY 9 4:08 MAY 8 21:08 5 05 +21.2 6.8 291 1.8 M
MAY 10 4:10 MAY 9 21:10 5 08 +20.6 6.1 291 1.9 M
MAY 11 4:11 MAY 10 21:11 5 10 +20.1 5.3 291 1.9 M
M = Moon above horizon.