Update : 2012/08/20.
Abreviations guide (T,S,...)
C/2009 P1 (Garradd), St-Cergue (Suisse)
2011/09/02, 21:15 UT, T=0, S=0, P=2, Milky Way easily visible.
MvlonZ(Lyr) = 6,8, faintest star on the drawing : 9,1.
10x50 binoculars, field 5°, near St-Cergue's camping site (Switzerland), alt. 1092m
17P/Holmes, Paris (75)
2007/10/30, MvlonPer = 4,7, T=4, S=2, P=4
Naked eye and 50x10B. With naked eye, slightly brighter than Delta Persée (mv=3) but strongly fainter than Mirfak (mv=2), mv=2,75 can be a good estimation : global mv should be more important (mv = 2,5 ?) as the comet's spot is large. Looks like a fuzzy star, like the Clown nebula at low magnification.
With 50x10 binoculars, bright disk, round, slightly diffuse on the edges, large (more than 7' ?), slight light gradient on a brighter centre, no central condensation or other details ('dancing' image due to observer's motion, uncomfortably set at his appartment's window).
C/2006 VZ13, Melz-sur-Seine (77)
2007/07 (13 to 14), 23h28 -> 0h00 UT, T=2, S=1, P=2, some cirrus passing.
MvlonZ(Lyr) = 6,2, faintest star on the drawing: 9,5.
10x50 binoculars, field 5°, Blunay (France, 77), alt. 69m.
C/2001 Q2 (Maccholz), Paris (75)
2005/01/13, T=2, S=1, P=4
S=1/10. 10x50 binoculars: round spot visible directly (in V1-v2) surrounded by four stars, the faintest is SAO 56531, mv=5,9...
C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) , La Petite Beauce (91)
Visible VI1, diffuse, small (2-3 '), seems to have a central condensation, not elongated.
Hardly visible Milky Way, mv lim inst. = 10,8.
60mm refractor, F/13, x20, field 1°26', North is up
C/2001 Q4 (NEAT), La Petite Beauce (91)
In Ursa Major, seen V1, no lengthening nor visible details, diam. 5', ill defined central condensation.
60mm refractor, F/13, x40, field 55', North is up.
Mv. lim. inst. = 9,8.
C/2002 O6 (SWAN), Chabottes (05)
2002/08/07, 3h50 UT.
60mm refractor, F/13, x40, field 55', North is up.
Dawn is raising.
C/2002 O4 (Hoenig), Chabottes (05)
2002/08/07, 3h50 UT. 60mm refractor, F/13, x40, field 55', North is up.
The star very close to the comet (bright dot) is SAO 20226, 8.4m.
C/2002 F1 (Utsunomya), La Ferté-Gaucher (77)
2002/09/04, 3h50 UT, T=4, S=3.
60mm refractor, F/13, x20, total field of view 1°26', North is up.
Dawn is raising
C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang), Saint-Chéron (91)
Saint-Chéron (France, 91), the 2002/03/03.
7x50 Binoculars, North is up
La Ferté Gaucher (France, 77),
2002/08/04, 20h30->20h55 UT.
60Mm refractor, F/13, x20, field 1°26', North is up.
C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR), Saint-Chéron (91)
Compare with Laurent Ferrero's drawing.
7x50 binoculars
C/2001 A2 (LINEAR), Queyras (05)
Camping-site of Ceillac,
7x50 Binoculars, 2001/07/20
Camping-site of Brunissard,
7x50 Binoculars, 2001/07/22
2001/07/20
Compare with Laurent Ferrero's drawing.
C/1999 S4 (LINEAR), Saint-Chéron (91)
2000/07/21
diffuse, faint but obvious spot. Elongated towards North.
22P/Kopff, Plan d'Aups (13)
1996/07/12
faint but visible in 60x20R.
C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp), Paris (75)
Summer 96: quite visible with binoculars.
Spring 97 : an amazing view, but I won't say much on the subject : there's enough literature on the web. But note that it was visible in the center of Paris. As a friend of mine, Eric Aristidi, says, it was a beautiful but very classic, "pedagogical" comet, with its right gas tail and its curved dust tail. However, I prefer Hyakutake, less bright but so extended...
C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), Aubagne (13)
Impressive: first magnitude snowball, visible with the naked eye, close to Arcturus. Very "stellar" and bright core. Drop-shaped coma, ending in a long fine trail extending on almost ten degrees. Here's a photo taken in Aubagne (France, 13) with a simple camera on tripod.
109/P Swift-Tuttle, Saint-Chéron (91)
1992/10/28
Faint but obvious in 7x35 binoculars, without central condensation, seems to have the expected mag. (7,5).
1992/10/30
Amorphous, with little central condensation. 60mm refractor, 40x: uniform brightness, no elongation.
C/1990 K1 Levy, Saint-Chéron (91)
1990/08/07
In Pegasus; Full moon. 60mm refractor, 40x: small round nebulosity (diam. 5-10 '), with central condensation (see drawing).
The bright star is Lambda Pegasus - 60mm refractor, 40x
1990/08/17
Quite visible with the naked eye, like a fuzzy star, brighter than M 31. Estimated Mag: 3, (1 mag. brighter than expected). Bright with the 6x30 finderscope. Large, fan-shaped tail in a 8" scope.
1990/09/06
In Sagittarius. Visible with 7x35 binoculars.
C/1989 X1 Austin, Saint-Chéron (91)
1990/04/30
Very diffuse core, bright central condensation, long fine trail extending more than1°, mag about 5.
1990/05/20
7x35 binoculars, in Delphinus: quite visible, but twice larger, more diffuse with lower surface brightness than in April. Less marked central condensation. No visible gas tail. 60mm refractor, 40x: coma diameter : approximately 15'.
C/1989 Q1 Okazaki-Levy-Rudenko, Albé (67)
1989/10/27
in the Herdsman (Bootes) - fog above the horizon - located in a 60 mm refractor at x20, better at x40, with a darker background sky. Round spot slightly brighter in the center.
23/P Brorsen-Metcalf, Turriers (04)
Star party in the french Alps , near Turriers (04) Summer 1989 : the comet was followed during 15 days, from 07/27 to 08/12. In a 60mm refractor, at 40x, a more and more brighter diffuse spot (from 8th mag to 6th mag); it showed its fine gas tail only the last night, 1/2 degree wide, approximately.
Brorsen-Metcalf comet in the Kids (part of Auriga), 1989/08/09, 200mm teleobjective F/2,8 , 10 mn exposure on agfachrome 1000
Brorsen-Metcalf comet in the Kids (part of Auriga), 1989/08/10, 200mm teleobjective F/2,8 , 10 mn Exposure on agfachrome 1000
60mm refractor, F=800mm, x40, field 55', T=0, S = 2/40, no wind, humidity 70%, temp. 13°C, 1989/08/12, end of sketch 02:20 UT, Turriers (04)
1989/08/12
Diffuse and large coma, slight central condensation. Faintly visible tail. Only stars brighter than mv=9 are on the drawing.
C/1988 J Machholz, Puimichel (04)
1988/08/17
Very few observations on this comet to be found in the web. Alerted of a comet discovery by a Reunion Island observatory. Described mag 7, in Orion, close to M78. In Puimichel, it was located with binoculars 3-4 degrees near this nebula. Once the position shown on Sky Atlas, the comet was spotted in the 60 mm refractor at 40x. It was a round, small nebulosity, obvious and well defined, but faint because of the dawn.
1988/08/18
the comet moved two degrees.
C/1988 A1 Liller, Saint-Chéron (91)
approximately mag 6. Easy to find in Cassiopeia in 7x35 binoculars. Low above the horizon. Two tails observed in the 60mm refractor at 40x. One very long and fine, the other, more brighter and shorter. The "shifted" vision (vision décalée) gives a general fan-shaped aspect which extends more than 1/2 degree.
P/Halley, Saint-Chéron (91)
Halley's Comet in Pisces, 1985/12/01 7x35 binoculars
Halley's Comet in Pisces, 1985/12/02 7x35 binoculars
1985/12/01
Located for the first time in Pisces with 7x35 binoculars.
1985/12/05
in 7x35 binoculars, it seems to have the same brightness as M 31, though non visible with the naked eye, (the galaxy, higher in the sky - near the zenith - was visible). The comet is a diffuse spot which seems slightly elongate
1985/12/09
the comet enormously moved. The condensation of the core is well detached from the surrounding coma.
1985/12/17
the Moon (First Quarter) is not a nuisance to observe the comet.