THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 202 1988 Sep 24 16.47UT. 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Z CAM P.Schmeer, Germany, e-mails confirmation of the end of standstill for Z Cam (cf E-200): Sept 22.078UT, 12.8. S.Lubbock e-mails that the star remained at magnitude 13.1 on Sept 16,17,18,19. VY AQR Following the note by John Isles (Cyprus) that VY Aqr was glimpsed at 13.8? on Sept 16, S.Lubbock reports he saw it at magnitude 14.1 on the same date at 21.35UT. Subsequent efforts have produced negative estimates. (3205) BOKSENBERG = 1979 MO6 MPC 13 480 carries the following citation for the above asteroid: Discovered 1979 June 25 by E.F.Helin and S.J.Bus at Siding Spring. Named in honour of Alexander Boksenberg, director of RGO, in recognition of his invention of the image-photon counting system and its application to a wide variety of astronomical problems. The first discoverer acknowledges the role he played in introducing her to the UK 1.2-m Schmidt facility in NSW, where she conducted the program in which (3205) was discovered. Name endorsed by W.L.W. Sargent. MPC 13 480 1988 NF A.Maury, Palomar Observatory, reported discovery of this new asteroid photographed on July 12 at mag 14.5.It is well placed for observation and relatively bright. Ephemeris: 1988 ET RA(1950) DEC Earth Sun Elong V Sept 26 23h55.84m +59 25.7' Oct 6 23 59.10 +57 20.5 0.601 1.442 126.8 12.9 16 00 04.54 +53 41.7 26 00 12.94 +48 43.8 0.600 1.491 137.3 12.8 Nov 5 00 24.10 +42 55.8 15 00 37.47 +36 55.8 0.662 1.556 140.0 13.1 25 00 52.50 +31 21.4 Dec 5 01 08.59 +26 36.8 0.804 1.631 131.1. 13.7 15 01 25.41 +22 51.0 25 01 42.76 +20 02.0 1.017 1.713 117.8 14.4 MPC 13486 Astrometry by our group is strongly urged. It would also be useful to make magnitude estimates as the predicted values are based on the discoverer's magnitude only. In mid November the object passes near V And (RA 00h47.4m DEC +35 23',1950) for which AAVSO (b), (e) and (f) charts are available giving a sequence to 14.7. Copies can be supplied on e-mail request but can someone calculate the daily offsets in arc mins and positional angles from the variable please? COMET MACHHOLZ (1988j) H. Bohnhardt and V. Vanysek, Astronomical Institute, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Bamberg, write: "Calculation of a dynamical model of the dust tail of Comet Machholz 1988j reveals that an anti-tail of this comet might be observable after its perihelion passage until perhaps Oct. 10. Surface photometry of this phenomenon compared with zodiacal-light brightness data is desirable." Total visual magnitude estimates: Sept. 3.51 UT, 6.0: (C. S. Morris, near Mt. Wilson, CA, 20x80 binoculars); 3.79, 7.4 (R. H. McNaught, Coonabarabran, N.S.W., 9x63 binoculars; 0.2-deg tail); 6.50, 7.0 (A. Hale, Las Cruces, NM, 0.41-m reflector); 6.78, 6.6 (D.A.J. Seargent, The Entrance, N.S.W., 15x80 binoculars; in 0.25-m reflector, 0.2-deg tail in p.a. 248). IAUC 4652 Note by John Bortle(from TA 1988 Sept in press): I question whether Comet Machholz can survive its close brush with the sun. Historically, comets with an Ho of fainter than 7.5 do not make it and Comet 1988j has an Ho of 8.0. It will be interesting to see if we can catch it fading out (perhaps the series of observations between Aug 20 and 23 are the beginnings?). Position is favourable after perihelion for recovery in the evening sky so the question of survival will definitely be answered. It will be interesting. Ephemeris (from TA 1988 Sept in press): 1988 ET RA (1950) DEC Earth Sun m1 Oct 1 14h05.1m +04 20 1.171 0.506 5.3 6 14 49.8 +03 40 1.205 0.642 6.4 11 15 29.1 +02 48 1.263 0.768 7.3 16 16 03.5 +01 54 1.341 0.888 8.1 21 16 33.4 +01 02 1.433 1.002 8.7 26 16 59.5 +00 17 1.536 1.110 9.3 31 17 22.4 -00 22 1.647 1.215 9.9 The above ephemeris by Hurst is based on improved elements by Brian Marsden using 26 observations Aug 7-17: T = 1988 Sept 17.589 ET Peri= 348.971 ) Node= 166.999 ) 1950.0 Incl= 40.175 ) q = 0.16517 AU IAUC 4643 Guy M Hurst