1996

Jul       16"     Table Mtn.   Mag ~4.5  Intense nucleus

1997

Feb  2.5  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~2.0  Wide 5 deg tail.
         
Mar  6.1  7x50B   Boulder      Mag ~0    0.5 deg tail in evening twilight. Main
                                         jet pa ~315. Seen 01:27 to 02:00.

Mar  7.1  10x50B  Boulder      Mag ~0    1 deg tail in evening twilight. Main 
                                         jet pa ~315. Seen 01:45 to 02:00.

Mar  7.5  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    6 deg dust + gas tails. Main jet pa 
                                         315 curves back into dust tail.

Mar  8.1  10x50B  Boulder      Mag ~0    ~1 deg tail

Mar  8.5  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    2 hoods visible at 60x and 185x. These
                                         covered about a 120 deg sector about
                                         1' from the false nucleus. Severe
                                         light pollution.

Mar  9.5  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    Looks better with mirror cleaned.
                                         2 hoods visible at 60x. Large
                                         parabolic shadow region behind 
                                         parabolic coma. Severe light 
                                         pollution.

Mar 10.1  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    Hood barely visible in poor seeing.
                                         Severe light pollution. Also nice
                                         in 10x50B.

Mar 11.1  10x50B  Boulder      Mag ~0    ~1 deg tail

Mar 12.1  N.E.    Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    ~1 deg tail, severe light pollution

Mar 13.1  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    Comet about 6 degrees altitude.
                                         Large jet still active at 315 deg.
                                         Parabolic "shadow" still there.
                                         Severe light pollution. 2 deg of
                                         tail.

Mar 16.1  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    2.5 deg dust tail. 2 hoods in 6" at
                                         60x. Significant light pollution.


Mar 17.1  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    3.5 deg dust and gas tails. Main jet
                                         still about 225 deg PA close in, 
                                         curving back to about 315 deg PA.

Mar 19.1  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    Better than average seeing. At 60x
                                         3 arc shaped hoods spanned about
                                         120 deg. The innermost arc was 
                                         connected to the nucleus. Severe
                                         light pollution.

Mar 23.1  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    2 distinct hoods seen at 60x over a
                                         120 degree sector. Severe light 
                                         pollution.

Mar 24.1  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    4 deg dust tail seen at 1st contact
                                         of lunar eclipse. Eclipse had reddish
                                         and bluish zones in the umbra at 90%
                                         phase.

Mar 27.1  10x50B  Boulder      Mag ~0    3 deg dust tail.

Mar 29.1  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    3 hoods over a 120 deg azimuth. The
                                         inner hood spiraled to the nucleus.
                                         Used 60x and 185x. Severe light
                                         pollution.

Mar 30.1  16"     Table Mtn.   Mag ~0    60x/150x. 3 hoods visible. Innermost
                                         spanned 180 deg, (beyond the 120 deg
                                         subtended by the main jet), connecting
                                         with the nucleus, then exiting as a
                                         small bar on the other side. Middle
                                         hood spanned 120 deg. 1 jet visible 
                                         within intense dust tail. 3 or 4 ion
                                         tail streamers visible, most prominent
                                         about 1/2 deg from the nucleus, 
                                         reminiscient of the Veil Nebula.
                                         10x50B shows 8 deg dust, 10 deg gas
                                         tail. Zodiacal light plainly visible
                                         left of comet. Windy conditions.
                                       
Mar 31.1   6"     Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    Severe light pollution. Inner coma
                                         roughly similar to previous night.
                                         10x50B gas tail 5 deg, dust 6 deg.

Apr 1.1   16"     Table Mtn.   Mag ~0    Used 150x, then 60x. 4 Hoods, innermost
                                         at P.A. of 90 deg, 2nd hood covered
                                         a 180 deg sector. 60x showed some ion
                                         tail streamers. 10x50B showed 10 deg
                                         dust and ion tails. Naked eye showed
                                         some lightning flashes at the base of
                                         the zodiacal light.

Apr 4.1   6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    Severe light pollution. 60x revealed
                                         3 hoods.

Apr 7.1   16"     Table Mtn.   Mag ~0    3 hoods at 60x. 3 ion tail rays 
                                         visible. M34 noticed between tails.
                                         10x50B and naked eye shows 10 deg
                                         gas and dust tails.

Apr 13.1  16"     Longmont     Mag ~0    Good seeing at 150x. Some moonlight. 
                                         4 hoods visible. Innermost two hoods
                                         had azimuthally dependent thicknesses,
                                         like arches; they had distinct
                                         inner and outer boundaries. The 
                                         nucleus was at one end of the inner 
                                         hood, which also had brightness 
                                         variations within it. 60x showed 2
                                         ion tail rays. A blue color was 
                                         evident on the sunward side of the
                                         outer coma. Naked eye showed 3 deg
                                         dust tail. Cold stable conditions.

Apr 14.1  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    3 hoods at 60x.

Apr 22.1  6"      Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    2 hoods at 60x. Dust tail pointing 
                                         nearly straight up close in, with
                                         broad fainter curving fan from a PA
                                         of about 0-90 deg. Now appears
                                         slightly dimmer than at peak 
                                         brightness.

Apr 27.1  10x50B  Gunbarrel    Mag ~0    7 deg dust tail, broad (nearly 90 deg
                                         range of PA) and curved. Took a few
                                         photos with 50mm F.L. lens.