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Comet Hyakutake ( Japanese pronunciation: [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Japanese | [çakɯ̥take] ] , [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_naming_conventions#Comets | formally designated ] C/1996 B2 ) is a [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet | comet ] , discovered on 31 January 1996, [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hyakutake#cite_note-iauc6299-1 | [1] ] that passed very close to Earth in March of that year. It was dubbed The Great Comet of 1996 ; its passage near the Earth was one of the closest cometary approaches of the previous 200 years. Hyakutake appeared very bright in the night sky and was widely seen around the world. The comet temporarily upstaged the much anticipated [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp | Comet Hale–Bopp ] , which was approaching the inner [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System | Solar System ] at the time. Scientific observations of the comet led to several discoveries. Most surprising to cometary scientists was the first discovery of [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray | X-ray ] emission from a comet, believed to have been caused by ionised [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_wind | solar wind ] particles interacting with neutral [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom | atoms ] in the [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coma_(cometary) | coma ] of the comet. The [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_probe | Ulysses spacecraft ] unexpectedly crossed the comet's tail at a distance of more than 500 million kilometres (3.3 AU or 3 × 10 8 mi ) from the [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_nucleus | nucleus ] , showing that Hyakutake had the longest tail known for a comet. Hyakutake is a [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet#Orbital_characteristics | long-period comet ] . Before its most recent passage through the Solar System, its orbital period was about 17,000 years, [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hyakutake#cite_note-barycenter-2 | [2] ] [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hyakutake#cite_note-jbaa-5 | [5] ] but the [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity | gravitational ] [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perturbation_(astronomy) | perturbation ] of the [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_planet | giant planets ] has increased this period to 70,000 years. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hyakutake#cite_note-barycenter-2 | [2] ] [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hyakutake#cite_note-jbaa-5 | [5] ] -- Steven Kenney Network Operations Manager WaveDirect Telecommunications http://www.wavedirect.net (519)737-WAVE (9283) From: "Steven Kenney" <st...@wavedirect.org> To: "af" <af@af.afmug.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 9:07:16 AM Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT comet Hyakutake was my fav ... clear as a bell in the night sky 1996 -- Steven Kenney Network Operations Manager WaveDirect Telecommunications http://www.wavedirect.net (519)737-WAVE (9283) From: "chuck" <ch...@wbmfg.com> To: "af" <af@af.afmug.com> Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 12:55:41 PM Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT comet I don’t have a clear memory of Hale-Bopp but I remember not being impressed. Seems like you really needed a telescope for a good view. This one I could see without using anything. It is not easy to see but you can spot it. The tail is long enough that you can spot it pretty easy. Very faint but noticeable. My grandparents told me of a Halley’s back in 1910 what was awesome. From: Bill Prince Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 10:49 AM To: af@af.afmug.com Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT comet Out here we expect to see it just below the big dipper after sunset starting tonight. I think it should be visible in the evening for another couple of weeks. When Hally's came around in 1986, it was considered a "poor showing". It's not clear to me if this is because it is diminishing in general, or whether it just had bad geometry that time around. None of us will probably be alive to see it next time. Hale-Bopp was great, we enjoyed watching it for at least a month or so. bp <part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com> On 7/12/2020 8:44 AM, ch...@wbmfg.com wrote: Got up about 4 or so and saw the comet. You can see it with the naked eye. Best one I think I have ever seen. Halley's was no big deal. Hale-Bopp was not great but was about the same as the current one. Kohoutek was the first I saw but I had to use field glasses. -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
-- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
