THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 129 1988 Mar 02  20.46UT.
Telecom Gold 72:MAG60138
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16, Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone:(0256)471074.Int:+44256471074
Telex:265871(MONREF G) Quote"72:MAG60138 ATT G.HURST"in FIRST line.
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P/COMET HARTLEY 3 (1988d)
The following orbital elements for the comet announced on E-125
have been derived by Dan Green:
T   =1987 Aug.1.09 ET
Peri=172.48                  e =0.3187
Node=286.03 1950.0           a =3.5746 AU
Incl= 11.37                  n =0.14583
q   =  2.4353 AU             P =6.76years
Ephemeris:
1988 ET   RA(1950) DEC      Earth  Sun  m1
Mar  5  10h00.86m -02 29.3'
    10  09 57.41  -02 14.2  1.826 2.774 16.7
    15  09 54.39  -01 58.1
    20  09 51.86  -01 41.7  1.901 2.801 16.9
    25  09 49.88  -01 25.6
    30  09 48.49  -01 10.4  1.999 2.828 17.0    IAUC 4558

COMET WILSON (1986l)
Z.Sekanina, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reports that analysis of
separations of the split nuclei indicates that the comet broke up
132 +/- 7 days after perihelion, or about 1987 Aug 31 at a
heliocentric distance of 2.3 AU.                IAUC 4557

S PERSEI
In response to the announcement on E-128, G.Hurst reports an
observation on 1988 Mar 1 at 20.12UT when the star was estimated at
magnitude 9.1, confirming the brightening reported earlier.

Guy M Hurst