Reports from Geisei Observatory <September 16, 2004>

• C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)
The comet's total magnitude was 10.2 and the coma was 3' in diameter as observed by the 20cm refractor at 60x on the morning of September 15. In the photograph (Photograph 1) taken by the 60cm telescope it shows a faint tail in the west.
I hope it will brighten to become a binocular comet as it moves northward approaching perihelion in January next year.

• C/2004 R2 (ASAS)
Photograph 2 was taken by the 21cm Epsilon on September 15, the same day as Photograph 1 was taken. I was not able to see the comet from the dome of the 60cm telescope, as it was too low in the southeast (blocked by the forest).
The comet will pass perihelion in early October at a distance of 0.12 AU from the center of the sun and may disappear. The comet is very diffused and the nucleus is not visible. The accuracy of positional measurements will not be high. This is the last shot of this comet from Geisei.

Photograph 1 C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)
3-minute-30-second exposure from 3:29 J.S.T. on September 15, 2004
60cm f/3.5 reflector on TM400 film

Photograph 2 C/2004 R2 (ASAS)
3-minute exposure from 4:40 J.S.T. on September 15, 2004
e210 (21cm F/3.0 reflector)
TM400 film