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Broken Nuclei


Article: <01bc27f6$8f9cfe80$95b4e0c2@default>
From: "Carlos Alvarez Fernandez" <carlosalv@jet.es>
Newsgroups: sci.astro.amateur
Subject: Has Hale-Boop broken?
Date: 3 Mar 1997 17:11:03 GMT
Organization: Unisource Espana NEWS SERVER

A member of Gran Canaria Astronomical Association reports on march 2, the comet nucleus has broken in two bodies. Can anybody tell something about it?

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Article: <m2sp2cxg7l.fsf@biomar16.uio.no>
From: ejorde@biomar16.uio.no (Per Erik Jorde)
Newsgroups: sci.astro.amateur
Subject: Re: Has Hale-Bopp broken?
Date: 04 Mar 1997 08:35:10 +0100
Organization: University of Oslo, Norway

In article <331BB9C0.2ED5@NOJUNKprodigy.net> Kevin Pilotte <pilottes@*prodigy.net> writes:
[...]
but I suspect this is not true. There have been a lot of reports about
its sudden brightening over the past week. The main jet is practically
producing a tail of its own - aside from the main comet tail. This may
be the cause of the confusion. Can anyone else confirm or deny this?

Getting my first good look at Hale-Bopp last evening (Mar 03 19:00 UT), the most impressive feature was the highly asymmetric coma, with a large "foutain" out to the (south) side, apparently producing the much brighter tail on that side and giving the overall impression of a double tail. Only a single bright, but non-stellar, core was visible.

Equipment: 10" Newt. at 100x.

Per Eik Jorde