[meteorite-list] Comet Bradfield

From: bernd.pauli_at_paulinet.de <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:15 2004
Message-ID: <DIIE.0000002A0000202C_at_paulinet.de>

Hello Ron and List,

> Comet Bradfield was discovered by veteran comet hunter
> William Bradfield of Australia. He saw it on 23 March
> whilst sweeping the evening twilight with his home-made
> telescope.


> He saw it on 23 March .... ???

Sky and Telescope, March 1980, p. 210:

More important to amateurs, the long interval without any easily observable
naked-eye comet ended on December 24th with the finding of Comet Bradfield,
1979l, a 5th-magnitude object...Comet Bradfield, 1979l, was the 10th discovery
by William A. Bradfield of Dernancourt, South Australia, in nearly a decade of
comet hunting. It is a tribute to this amateur's diligence. In the present century
only L. Peltier* in Ohio and M. Honda in Japan have made more discoveries, and it
seems likely that Bradfield may soon pass these legendary figures. At discovery, Comet
Bradfield had a tail more than 1=B0 long, and was situated about 10=B0 south of Antares
in Scorpius. Already three days past the perihelion point of its orbit when Bradfield
found it, the comet moved rapidly southward, gradually gaining in brightness as it
neared the earth.

* Leslie C. Peltier: Starlight Nights - The Adventures of a Star-gazer
  An absolute must for any serious star-gazer with a romantic vein !!!

Best wishes,
Good Night,

Bernd
Received on Tue 20 Apr 2004 04:51:26 PM PDT