Reports from Geisei Observatory <October 12, 2001>

• Photograph C/2000 WM1(LINEAR)
October 11 is my memorable day, for I discovered Comet Seki (1961f). This discovery changed my life enormously. Forty years later, today, the sky is just as clear as that October day. I targeted C/2000, which was predicted to brighten. It was visible in the 20cm-refractor at 60x and estimated to be at magnitude 12.1 and 1.5' across. The photo by the 60cm telescope shows an attractive tail. The comet has been one or two magnitudes fainter than predicted. How much will it brighten in January? The predictions will be provided in the OAA Comet Section Reports. This photo was taken at 1 am on October 12 with a 10-minute exposure.

C/2001 WM1(LINEAR)
Around 1 am on October 12, 2001
60cm reflector
10-minute exposure
Geisei Observatory