February, 1996
--------- Yuji Hyakutake in Kagoshima Japan. ---------
He began comet searching seven years ago when he made a dome-style observatory in his house in Fukuoka, but it was impossible to discover a new comet under the bright skies in the big city. So two and half years ago, when he changed his job, he decided to move to Hayato-cho, Kagoshima-prefecture. His observing place is on a hill, a 30-minute drive from his house. In the south Mt. Sakura-jima emits a jet of smoke; in the west Kagoshima-city gives light pollution to the sky. And ,what is worse, in the north-west Kagoshima airport disturbs him with its light. As a result he can observe a comet only in the eastern sky and around the zenith. It is not necessarily a satisfying place to search a comet. For these reasons he seeks a comet only early in the morning and his target area in the sky is the district which both photographic and naked eye seekers avoid to see. He doesn't go out even if the condition of the sky is a little good. Needless to say about the time of the full moon. He goes to bed when he looks up at the sky at midnight and cannot be satisfied with its clearness.
"The most important thing is not to disturb my family. Now that I am in the middle age, I cannot do too much. I make it a rule to continue comet seeking in a proper way for health. It must not be a burden for life. I wonder why I could find the comet, because I have not been a person who devotes all himself to the hobby," he said with reserve.