Reports from Geisei Observatory <March 9, 2004>

• C/2002 T7(LINEAR) and a new nebula near M78
I looked at C/2002 T7 LINEAR through the 20cm refractor, as the western sky became clear. The sky only 5 degrees above the horizon was quite bright and the comet was not visible. This means it was fainter than 6th magnitude. The comet will continue to get closer to the sun while moving southward. By the time it moves back to the northern sky in the evening in May, it may be fainter and not much can be expected. We may not be able to expect it to become a fine comet in the northern hemisphere.

I photographed M78 using the 60cm telescope. Do you see any changes comparing this with the previous mono-chrome photograph?

The nebula near M78, March 9, 2004
12-minute exposure from 22.00
60cm f/3.5 reflector