Comet LINEAR (1998 M5) fades in our evening sky as it pulls away from both us and the Sun.  Periodic Comet Jager is also dimming in our evening sky.  It will be back in 15 years.  Meawhile, Comet LINEAR (1998 T1), discovered late last year, emerges from behind the Sun and into our morning sky.

COMET HUNTING NOTES:  Of the 79 visual comet discoveries since 1975, 30 (38%) have been found in the first half of the year, with 49 finds in the second half.  Subdividing the year into quarters, the first quarter has 18 discoveries, the second has 12, the third has 26 and the last three months of the year yield 23 finds.

Ephemerides (Also see Orbital Elements, Page 5.)

Herschel 400 Objects (NGC nos.)
(Continued from What's Up on Page 3. The monthly tables for the Planets, and Messier and Caldwell Objects are continued on Page 8.)

Speckle imaging improves seeing
(Continued from Page 1)
describes the image of an unresolved star, as distorted by  poor seeing. Typically, the index of refraction of the air varies over size scales smaller than the observing telescope's aperture. A discrete star cannot be seen, rather the image appears to be faint, speckled, and moving. By correcting these distortions, the observer an capture an image of higher clarity and detail.
   Jupiter has been a target for speckle interferometry improvement for more than five years. Additionally, Io, Jupiter's volcanically active moon, is another excellent subject. Join us April 16, to hear why.

Page 4         Prime Focus   April 1999