Reports from Geisei Observatory <December 4, 2001>

• Photographs of C/2001 W2(BATTERS) and C/2000 WM1(LINEAR)
These photographs of C/2001 W2 and C/2000 WM1 were taken over a very short period of time available before the moon rose in the evening. The exposure time for C/2001 W2 (Batters) was 3 minutes. The photo shows a short diffuse tail coming from the eastern edge of the 13th-magnitude coma. This comet was found to have a 65-year period.
C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) now has a smaller coma but the tail is one-degree long. In the 20cm telescope at 60x it was at magnitude 6.5 with a 0.5-degree-long tail. It is accelerating toward the south and this is the last chance for a glimpse of it.

C/2001 W2(BATTERS)
18.30 on December 4, 2001
3-minute exposure on 6415 film by 60cm f/3.5 reflector

[C/2001 W2(BATTERS)]

An enlarged view of the comet

[Photo of C/2000 WM1(LINEAR)]

C/2000 WM1(LINEAR)
18.10 on December 4, 2001
12-minute exposure on 6415 film by the 60cm f/3.5 reflector