Micro-Comet(s) C/1998 K5 (LINEAR)

June 19.414: m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
June 19.454: m1 = 13.3:(+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
June 20.415: m1 = 12.3 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Silva (HI)
June 20.437: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Silva (HI)
June 20.508: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Silva (HI)
June 21.453: m1 = 12.4 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.457: m1 = 12.5 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.462: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.467: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.471: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.476: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.482: m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.487: m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.494: m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 21.499: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 25.448: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 25.460: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 25.481: m1 = 12.9 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 25.501: m1 = 13.0 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 27.584: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 27.594: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.08', DC= 8.5, 507x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 28.478: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
June 28.521: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
July 03.560: m1 = 12.4 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
July 03.579: m1 = 12.3 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
July 25.542: m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Silva (HI)
July 26.524: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.08', DC= 9-, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
July 27.590: m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
July 30.56 : m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.05', DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Aug. 02.55 : m1 = 12.4 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
Aug. 04.628: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
Aug. 16.45 : m1 = 12.9 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Aug. 20.52 : m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.05', DC= 9- , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Aug. 24.43 : m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Aug. 28.47 : m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Aug. 30.57 : m1 = 12.6 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 02.595: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.1' , DC= 8.5, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 05.50 : m1 = 12.8 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.15', DC= 8 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 08.470: m1 = 12.9 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.2' , DC= 7-8, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 11.462: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.25', DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 13.41 : m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.3) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 15.41 : m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.3) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7-8, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 18.44 : m1 = 13.0 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.25', DC= 7-8, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 19.425: m1 = 12.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7-8, 169x256 L, Silva (HI)
Sep. 20.43 : m1 = 12.5 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7-8, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 22.42 : m1 = 12.4 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.2' , DC= 8 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 26.49 : m1 = 13.2 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 8 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Sep. 28.63 : m1 = 13.2 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Koko-H.(HI)
Sep. 30.51 : m1 = 13.3 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 8 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 04.50 : m1 = 13.4 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.2' , DC= 8 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 18.42 : m1 = 13.6 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 6-7, 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 20.43 : m1 = 13.5 (+/-0.1) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 23.51 : m1 = 14.1 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.2' , DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 24.44 : m1 = 14.0 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 26.44 : m1 = 14.3 (+/-0.3) Dia. 0.25', DC= 7 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Oct. 28.47 : m1 = 14.1 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 6 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Nov. 17.32 : m1 = 14.5 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.4' , DC= 5 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Nov. 21.30 : m1 = 14.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 5 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)
Nov. 23.38 : m1 = 14.7 (+/-0.2) Dia. 0.3' , DC= 5 , 169x256 L, Dilli. (HI)

Comments: WHAT A SMALL COMET!!! Nearly completly stellar, at 507x it looks surrounded by a 4-6" coma [i.e. coma no larger than 800 km!! - outgassing rate possibly around 10kg/s of water (1/20000th of Hale-Bopp!!)] Motion was obvious, especially when it came within 5" of the star GSC 3163-764 on June 17.4215. [MPC31894 may be off by 45", or 4 min. late and less than 7" NE]

June 20-21: Magnitude variations seem smaller than +/- 0.2 mag. over less than 2h.

June 27 - July 3: faint tail (at 507x) 15"-20" PA 250��

July 25-30: 16" tail still clearly seen in PA 270��

Aug. 16-30: tail even more obvious, 0.7' at (507x) on Aug. 20.53. Fragment(s) in the tail at ~8" (and 20"?) ? (Aug.28-30)

Sep. 05.62 at 507x: it seems once more obvious that there are at least 2 other fragments: m2(B)=14.3+-0.3 at 8"(+-2") PA 265 and m2(C)=14.4+-0.3 at 24"(+-2") PA 265��, nearly in the 40" tail. [Seeing good to very good, Moon light was not a problem!]

Sep. 06.54: Comet C/1998 K5 (LINEAR) is even visible from Honolulu at the time of full moon (just after the penumbral eclipse!) (m1 ~ 13, 169x256 L)!
Sep. 13.42 and 13.50: at 507x: condensations in the tail at 11", 37" and 1.2' (faint) in PA 265��
Sep. 18.45: fragments (?) at 14" and 34", tail 1.1' PA 260�� (at 507x)
Sep. 19.43: fragments (?) at 10" and 33", tail 1.0' PA 265�� (at 507x)
Sep. 20.59: fragments (m = 14.5-15) at 9-13", 40" and 70"(?), tail 1.1' PA 260�� (at 507x) [Seeing good - at the zenith]
Sep. 26 - Oct. 4: the comet may be slightly fading (but this can also be a problem of reference stars)

Images: [30 K] Sep. 5 : 12:10 & 14:45 UT: Drawing at 507x (25.6cm L) 160"x160" North is up