Note that total V- band CCD magnitudes are generally about 1 magnitude fainter than visual (m1), varying somewhat from comet to comet. The reason of fainter CCD results is in different spectral detection of Swan band emissions (C2) by the human eye and CCD. You can see that dark adapted human eye response curve is almost centered on Swan bands, while the V filter transmit only part of this emission.

Except otherwise noted, observations are by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory, Slovenia

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS
B = binoculars, L = reflector, S-C = Schmidt-Cassegrain, FFS-C = flat field Schmidt-Cassegrain, B-S = Baker-Schmidt, M=Maksutov, V = total V-band magnitude, m1 = total visual magnitude, CDia = coma diameter in minutes of arc, DC = degree of condensation ( 0= diffuse, 9 = stellar), PA = position angle (0=toward north, 90=east, etc.).

Comet Hale-Bopp (1995 O1)

Visual and CCD photometry
1996 Mar. 1.18UT: V=9.1, CDia=~4 DC=6. Coma elongated towards the NW (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 May 21.04UT: m1=6.8, CDia= 7' (7x42B). M.V.Zanotta, Monte Generoso, Italy.
1996 May 24.06UT: V=6.9, CDia=~7x10' DC=6. Conspicious 2' central condensation. Coma strongly shaped towards the PA ~270o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 May 29.08UT: V=7.0, CDia=~20' DC=7. Broad, fan-like tail ~0.5o in PA ~225o. Using the logarithmic display, the coma clearly shows clockwise spiral structure. The initial burst of material starts from the central cond. at PA ~0o, continue in clockwise direction and finally broaden to ~20' fan-like tail, about 30' long (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 May 30.07UT: V=6.9, CDia=~20' DC=7. Broad, fan-like tail ~0.5o in PA ~225o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Jun. 7.97UT: V=6.5, CDia=~20' DC=7. Fan-like tail ~0.5o in PA ~230o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Jun. 10.96UT: m1=6.1, CDia=14'(7x42B). M. V. Zanotta, San Marco Pass, Italy.
1996 Jun. 14.94UT: V=6.7, CDia=~18' DC=7. Delicate fan-like tail (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Jun. 16.05UT: V=6.7, CDia=~18' DC=7. Delicate fan-like tail ~1o in PA ~220o (6-cm, f/2.8 lens + V filter + CCD).
1996 Jun. 17.99UT: V=6.5, CDia=~20' DC=7. No trace of a tail feature that was present on Jun. 16.05UT (6-cm, f/2.8 lens + V filter + CCD).
1996 Jul. 6.88UT: m1=6.2, CDia=~10' DC=6 (7x50B). H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 10.90UT: m1=5.7 (Naked-eye estimate). M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
1996 Jul. 7.88UT: m1=6.4, Cdia=~11' DC=6 (7x50B). H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 8.92UT: m1=6.4, CDia=6', DC=7. Tail 0.3o in PA 355o (20x80B). S. Baroni, Milano, Italy.
1996 Jul. 10.90UT: m1=6.4, CDia=~12' DC=6 (7x50B). H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 11.89UT: m1=6.4, CDia=~12' DC=6 (7x50B). H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 13.89UT: m1=6.3, CDia=~14' DC=6 (7x50B). H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 17.90UT: m1=6.3, CDia=~14' DC=6 (7x50B). Delicate fan-like tail ~0.5o in PA~150o. H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 18.89UT: m1=6.4, CDia=~14' DC=6 (7x50B). Delicate fan-like tail ~0.5o in PA~150o. H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 18.90UT: m1=6.3. Naked-eye estimate in excellent observing conditions. H. Mikuz, Cres, Croatia.
1996 Jul. 22.88UT: V=5.9, CDia=~24' DC=7. Fan-like tail at least 1o in PA ~140o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Aug. 2.84UT: V=6.1, CDia=~22' DC=7. Fan-like tail at least 1o in PA ~140o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Aug. 3.93UT: m1=5.6, CDia=14' DC=5. Tail 0.2o in PA 100o (7x42B). M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
Aug. 3.93: in 25x150B fan tail spans p.a. 35-115 deg. The fan is embraced by a couple of slightly brighter tail's rays - main one, at p.a. 35 deg., straight and quite narrow starts right from the central condensation that surrounds star-like nuclear region. Central condensation offset within oval outer coma [ZAN].
1996 Aug. 6.89UT: V=5.9, CDia=~24' DC=7. Fan-like tail at least 1o in PA ~130o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Aug. 12.89UT: m1=5.4, CDia=16' DC=4-5. Tail 0.4o in PA 110o (7x42B). In 25x150B easy star-like nuclear region w/in disk-like central condensation. M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
1996 Aug. 16.87UT: m1=5.4, CDia=16' DC=5. Tail 0.4o in PA 110o (7x42B). M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
1996 Aug. 16.89UT: V=5.8, CDia=~25' DC=7. Fan-like tail at least 1o in PA ~120o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Aug. 17.88UT: m1=5.3, CDia=16' DC=5. Tail 0.4o in PA 110o (7x42B). M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
Aug. 16.87 and 17.88 in 25x150B: main tail has narrow and straight spike; also 0.4 deg. long narrow, straight tail at p.a. 15 deg. starts right from ellipsiodal central condensation that surrounds star-like nuclear region; fan tail spans p.a. 80-135 deg. Central condensation offset sunward within diffuse outer coma [ZAN].
1996 Aug. 20.88UT: V=5.7, CDia=~25' DC=7. Fan-like tail at least 1o in PA ~120o (20-cm, f/2 B-S camera + V filter + CCD).
1996 Aug. 24.04UT: m1=5.8, CDia=~9' DC=3 (25-cm, f/6 S-C at 89x). Rok Palcic, Kamnik, Slovenia.
1996 Aug. 29.86UT: m1=5.6, CDia=10' DC=4-5 (20x80B). M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
Aug. 29.86 and 30.86: strong moonlight. In 15.5 L (125x) inner coma shows bright star-like nuclear region within a small disk-like central condensation surrounded by a parabolic envelope, tangent to the sunward side of the central condensation. Nothern envelope sector is brighter than eastern one. Straight, stubby cone-shaped feature at p.a. 40 deg. [ZAN].
1996 Aug. 30.85UT: m1=5.7, CDia=13' DC=6 (10-cm, f/10 Maksutov at 33x). R. Palcic, Kamnik, Slovenia.
1996 Aug. 31.86UT: m1=5.4, CDia=14' DC=5. Tail 1o in PA 90o (7x42B). M. V. Zanotta, Milano, Italy.
Aug. 31.86 in 25x150B: disk-like central condensation diameter 2 arcmin. Features within inner coma noted on Aug. 29.86 still present and visible at 25x: low power shows them all pointing straight at false nucleus while the northern one is the beginning of a huge fountain or curved tail, 0.7 deg. in lenght. The fountain starts to North from false nucleus and curves to p.a. 85 deg. at the end; its the brightest of "tail's" features. Fan tail spans p.a. 355-110 deg. [ZAN].

Wide-field CCD observations with narrow-band filters.

May 29, 1996
Series of narrow-band filter CCD images were taken in the morning of 1996 May 29 from the Crni Vrh Observatory in very good conditions. Using logarithmic display, the coma shows clockwise spiral structure. The initial burst of material starts from th central condensation at PA ~0o, continues in clockwise direction and finally broaden to ~20' fan-like tail, about 30' long in PA ~270o. Left image: 10-min exposure, taken on 1996 May 29.063UT (center) with dust continuum filter, centered at 647nm (FWHM 10nm). Right image: 5-min exposure, taken on 1996 May 29.072UT (center) with H2O+ filter, centered at 620nm (FWHM=10nm). Both images were obtained with the 20-cm, f/2 Baker-Schmidt camera and Wright CCD. The frames field of view is 1.3x1.1 deg. 

June 15 - 18, 1996
Daily changes in dust release are visible on three CCD images, obtained during the period June 15 - 18, 1996 with 2.8/180mm lens and dust continuum filter, centered at 647nm (FWHM=10nm). The June 15.017UT image (10-min) shows 1.3 deg dust tail (about 146 million km) which became diminished on the June 16.031UT frame (20-min exposure) and almost vanished on the June 17.999UT (10-min exposure). Times are given for the center of exposure. Each frame's field of view is 1.7x2.0 deg. Histogramic equalization was used in order to bring out the dust tail extension.