Reports from Geisei Observatory<December 13, 2000>

• C/2000 W1(Utsunomiya-Jones)
It has moved north and is now easier to observe at daybreak. At 17:55 on December 12 it was shining brilliantly like a large 6th-magnitude globular cluster in the 20cm refractor at 60x. In a photograph by the 60cm reflector exposed on TM400 film, a 5'- long tail was visible in the east. It will head toward perihelion on December 26 while brightening a little. The observable time for this comet is not long. It will fade after passing T, although it moves away from the glow of the sun.

The following is an observation by Mr. Hirohisa Sato, Sukagawa, Japan:

2000/UT      m1   dia.  DC  Trans.  Seeing
Dec.13.35   6.4    3'    6   3/5     5/10  By 10X70 binoculars

Color photographs by Geisei's 60cm telescope will be presented soon.

[C/2000 W1]
At 17:55 on December 12
60cm reflector
Exposed on TM400 film
Tsutomu Seki at Geisei Observatory