Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) at NOAO

NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation

Comet Hyakutake (discovered January 31, 1996 by Yuji Hyakutake, Japan) is an exciting comet to follow: it will be a large comet on the sky visible with the naked eye, and its projected orbit will bring it to within 0.11 AU of the Earth (which corresponds to about 40 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon!!!) on March 25, 1996. Also see the JPL comet page for other interesting pictures and further information about this newly discovered comet.

Just recently there appears to be some indication of nucleus fragmentation as shown by two images from the Observatoire de Pic du Midi in France: March 24 image and March 25 image. Also see the recent pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Pictures of Comet Hyakutake:

• Images from the WIYN Telescope on Kitt Peak
• Images from the 4m Telescope on Kitt Peak
• Images from the 0.9m Telescope on Kitt Peak
• Images from the 2.1m Telescope on Kitt Peak
• Images from the Burrell Schmidt Telescope on Kitt Peak
• Miscellaneous Pictures of Comet Hyakutake

Observing Comet Hyakutake at KPNO:

• March 19-21, 24, 1996, WIYN Queue (Target of Opportunity Proposal), "Imaging of the Inner Coma of Comet Hyakatake", Dr. Walt Harris (Wisconsin), Dr. Beatrice Mueller (NOAO)

• March 19-22, 1996, 0.9 meter telescope, "CCD Imaging of Nucleus and Coma of C/1996 B2 (Hyakatake)", Fernandez, Lisse, A'Hearn and Wellnitz (University of Maryland)

• March 23-24, 1996, 2.1 meter telescope, "Molecular Abundances in Comet Hyakutake", Observers: Dr. Susan Wyckoff, Dr. Peter Wehinger (Arizona State University)

• March 25, 1996, 4 meter telescope, "Search for Emission Lines from ND, CD and so Far Undetected Short-lived Cometary Molecules in Comet 1996 B2 C/Hyakutake", Meier, Woodney, A'Hearn, Wellnitz (University of Maryland)

• March 30-April 2, 1996, Burrell Schmidt, "Coma Study of the Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)", Dr. Beatrice Mueller, Matthew Fishburn (NOAO)