Comet Ikeya Zhang, April 11, 2002, 7:55-8:40 UT, seeing 5, transparency 5.0 with a few high clouds.

Astro-Physics 5.1" f/8.35 EDF refractor on homemade Dobsonian-style mount. Magnification 115x, field of view approximately 0.7 degrees. North is to the upper left in this drawing.

The coma appeared very large and blue-green in color, and surrounded a relatively bright parabolic hood and star-like pseudo-nucleus. The gas and dust tail were both visible behind the coma, the more prominent gas tail on the left, while the fainter dust tail on the right. The gas tail appeared feathered along its left side, multi-threaded in the middle, and curved on its right side. Tail length was between 2.5 - 3 degrees.

The dust tail appeared as fine streamers behind the coma on the right side. It reminded me of some of the fainter wisp-like streamers I have seen when observing the Orion Nebula. Also, behind the coma and extending over towards the gas tail from approximately the 5:30 to 10:30 positions there appeared to be a faint wedge of lighter material.