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With a moderate-sized telescope, you could view a half-dozen comets on most nights during the next few months. As predicted here last month, Comet 1998 U5 (LINEAR) outburst by nearly three magnitudes. It and Comet 1998 M5 (LINEAR) both pass north of the Sun, and from the evening into the morning sky. Periodic Comet Giacobini-Zinner fades in the evening sky while Comet Williams fades in the morning sky. Comet Jager and Periodic Comet Harrington-Abell remain within 15 degrees of each other as they pass through opposition on favorable visits through our part of the solar system.
Current comets
C/1998 W1 (Spahr): Found on November 16, 1998 by Timothy Spahr using a 16-inch Schmidt as part of the Catalina Sky Survey, this faint comet will be closest to the Sun next month at 1.7 AU. Comet Spahr orbits the Sun every 6.7 years.
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C/1998 W2 (Hergenrother): The same Catalina equipment was used to find this comet on November 21, 1998. It remains faint.
C/1998 W3 (LINEAR): The LINEAR program found this faint comet on November 25, 1998. It has a retrograde orbit and will be closest to the Sun in February 1999 at a distant 4.9 AU.
C/1939 TN (Vaisala-Oterma): This strange object was discovered in 1939 and treated as an asteroid although it was suspected to be a comet. Recent observations show it to be diffuse with a short tail. It is now reclassified as a comet. It orbits the Sun every 9.5 years with a perihelion distance of 3.4 AU.
COMET HUNTING NOTES: Father Leo Boethin of the Philippines passed away on September 15, 1998. He discovered Periodic Comet Boethin (85P/) on January 4, 1975. It orbits the Sun every 11 years.
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