Last updated: July 5, 2009
Ephemerides for all of these comets (and many others) can be calculated at the IAU Minor Planet Center's web site. Recent reports of their brightness can be found at the ICQ's magnitude page, the Comet Observation Home Page [currently inactive] and the Yahoo! comet observations group. Discussions of these and other comets are carried out at the Yahoo! comets mailing list group, and links to images are at the Yahoo! comet images group. For basic comet observing information see the appropriate page at this web site.
NOTE ADDED NOVEMBER 21, 2007: There are numerous objects that are apparent asteroids but that travel in distinctly cometary orbits or are otherwise associated with cometary phenomena in some way, and it is entirely possible that these are extinct or dormant comets. When any of these come by I do attempt to observe them, but they are not eligible for adding to my comet tally unless observations show that they are indeed comets, in which case I'll add them to my list retroactively (as has happened once so far). This page will now include any such objects that I'm currently following at the time of any updates.
NOTE ADDED JULY 3, 2008: This page will now highlight in red print those comets that are 9th magnitude or brighter (and that are also easily accessible for observation) at the time of the update in question. Such comets should be detectable from suburban areas with small telescopes, and thus are those that are specifically recommended for "Countdown" participating students.
Comet 116P/Wild 4 (no. 447)
I may very well be done with this comet, since it is now getting quite low in the western sky after dusk and also appears to be fading somewhat, appearing around magnitude 13 1/2 during my most recent observations. It is currently located in south-central Leo 1 1/2 degrees southeast of the star Chi Leonis and is traveling towards the east-southeast at half a degree per day, passing 1 1/2 degrees southwest of the star Sigma Leonis on July 11 and one degree northeast of the star Tau Leonis a week later.
Comet 65P/Gunn (no. 450)
Like the above comet, this one is also starting to get low in the western sky after dusk, and I will probably not be following it for much longer if at all (although I should pick it up again after it emerges into the morning sky early next year). It is currently located in northwestern Virgo three degrees southeast of the star Omicron Virginis and 1 1/2 degrees northeast of the star 11 Virginis; it is traveling towards the southeast at a little over 15 arcminutes per day and begins traversing the southern regions of the Virgo galaxy cluster around the end of this week, passing 45 arcminutes northeast of the galaxy M61 on July 15. The comet has remained between magnitudes 13 1/2 and 14 during my recent observations, and I expect this to continue up until the time I lose it in the west.
Comet Garradd C/2008 Q3 (no. 456)
Having passed through perihelion a little over a week and a half ago, the brightest comet currently in our skies continues traveling northward in the evening sky, and is presently located in northeastern Corvus three degrees northeast of the star pair Delta and Eta Corvi; it is heading almost due north at 40 arcminutes per day, crossing into southern Virgo and passing slightly less than one degree west of the galaxy M104 on July 9 and passing a similar distance west of the star Chi Virginis a week later. The comet was a bright and easy binocular object of magnitude 7 1/2 when I began observing it early last month, but poor weather and moonlight have prevented me from seeing it since mid-June; it should still be fairly bright although perhaps starting to fade some by now, and a couple of relatively recent reports I've read from other observers suggest that this may indeed be happening. I'll know more when I hopefully am able to observe it again sometime within this next week.
Comet 88P/Howell (no. 457)
Poor weather and moonlight have prevented me from observing this comet ever since my initial sightings shortly before mid-June. It is currently located in central Virgo 2 1/2 degrees south-southeast of the fairly bright double star Porrima (Gamma Virginis), and is traveling towards the southeast at slightly over 20 arcminutes per day. The comet appeared as a somewhat vague and diffuse object of magnitude 13 1/2 when I first picked it up, and it should be perhaps a half-magnitude or so brighter than that now; it should continue brightening slowly over the coming weeks and months.
Comet McNaught C/2005 L3 (no. 408)
This very distant comet that I've now been following for over two years is still relatively well placed in the evening sky, although it is gradually sinking lower as time goes by and I probably won't be following it for much longer. It is currently located in central Canes Venatici 3 1/2 degrees southeast of the star Cor Caroli, or Alpha Canum Venaticorum, and 40 arcminutes east of the star 14 Canum Venaticorum; it is traveling slowly towards the south-southwest. So far the comet has maintained its brightness relatively well, appearing near magnitude 13 1/2 during my recent observations, but since it is now almost 18 months past perihelion passage and 2 1/2 months past its latest opposition I wouldn't be surprised to see some fading over the coming weeks.
Comet Yang-Gao P/2009 L2 (no. 458)
Despite moonlight and the recent spate of bad weather I've been having, I was able to slip in an observation of this recently-discovered comet at the end of June; I was a little surprised to see that it seems to be maintaining its brightness, still appearing as a small moderately-condensed object of 13th magnitude. Now just over a week past opposition, it remains visible throughout the nighttime hours, and it is currently located in northern Serpens Cauda two degrees north-northeast of the star Eta Serpentis; it is traveling just eastward of due north at 25 arcminutes per day, slowing down and turning more towards the east during the coming few weeks. In theory the comet should be fading fairly rapidly, but we'll just have to see what it does over the course of the near future.
Comet Christensen C/2006 W3 (no. 422)
I picked this comet up back in December 2007 -- over a year and a half ago -- and after all this time it is now finally passing through perihelion. It is currently an early-morning object located in northwestern Pegasus three degrees west-northwest of the pair of stars Pi-1 and Pi-2 Pegasi, and is traveling towards the west-southwest at almost half a degree per day, crossing into southeastern Cygnus on July 9. Telescopically the comet appears as a relatively condensed fan-shaped coma, and it has been faintly visible in binoculars near 9th magnitude during my recent observations; it should brighten a little bit more as it heads toward opposition in early August.
Comet 22P/Kopff (no. 448)
For the time being this comet remains in the morning sky, being currently located in central Aquarius two degrees southwest of the star Lambda Aquarii; it is traveling due eastward at 15 arcminutes per day and passes 1 1/2 degrees south of that star on July 11. The comet is now six weeks past perihelion passage but still two months away from opposition, and is thus probably near its maximum brightness; during my recent observations it has appeared as a rather large and diffuse object of 10th magnitude, and it should maintain something close to this appearance for a few more weeks.
Comet 217P/LINEAR P/2009 F3 (no. 459)
My tally's newest addition is also in the morning sky, being currently located in southern Pisces 1 1/2 degrees northeast of the star 33 Piscium; it is traveling just northward of due east at close to one degree per day and crosses into northern Cetus on July 10 and passes just one arcminute north of the star 12 Ceti the following day. Because of the recent bad weather here I have not seen this comet since my initial observation two weeks ago; it appeared near magnitude 13 1/2 then, and should be at least half a magnitude or more brighter than that now.
Comet STEREO C/2009 G1 (no. 454)
Having gone through conjunction with the sun (85 degrees south of it) a little over a week ago this comet is now technically an evening object, and it remains in far southern skies (currently at a declination of -59 degrees). It is presently located in western Carina 3 1/2 degrees west-northwest of the bright star cluster NGC 2516 and is traveling towards the east-northeast at 50 arcminutes per day (slowing to 40 arcminutes per day by mid-month), passing 1 1/2 degrees north of the "Toby Jug Nebula" (IC 2220) on July 10. The most recent reports I've read from the southern hemisphere were indicating a brightness somewhere around 10th or 11th magnitude as of about a week and a half ago, however since the comet is now over 2 1/2 months past perihelion passage and is also receding from Earth it should be fading fairly rapidly, and it probably will not remain visible for much longer.
Comet Cardinal C/2008 T2 (no. 445)
This comet is in the southern hemisphere's evening sky at a present elongation of 42 degrees (which gradually increases over time), and is currently located in southwestern Hydra 40 arcminutes west of the star 6 Hydrae; it is traveling towards the southeast at a little over 50 arcminutes per day and passes just under a degree southwest of the star 12 Hydrae on July 8. According to recent reports I've read from the southern hemisphere the comet has so far maintained a brightness near 10th magnitude for the past several weeks, but since it is now over three weeks past perihelion passage and is also receding from Earth I would expect it to begin fading over the coming weeks.