THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 394 1990 Mar 18 10.30UT
Microlink:MAG60138 JANET:GMH at UK.AC.RO-GREENWICH.STARLINK
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074
Telex: 94082518 Answerback: TAGUY
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COMET CERNIS-KIUCHI-NAKAMURA (1990b)
K. Churyumov, Kiev Observatory, telexes the discovery of a new
comet by Kazimieras Cernis. H. Kosai, National Astronomical
Observatory of Japan, reports independent discoveries by Tsuruhiko
Kiuchi and Yuji Nakamura. The comet generally appears diffuse with
some condensation, coma diameter about 2'. The following
observations are available:
1990 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. m1 Observer
Mar. 14.79 0 54.4 +43 04 9 Cernis
16.441 1 03.0 +44 05 9 Kiuchi
16.441 1 03.2 +44 07 9 Nakamura
17.120 1 06.8 +44 31 8.4 Hale
17.84733 1 11.0 +44 52.5 9 Mobberley
K. Cernis (Vilnius). 0.12-m refractor.
T. Kiuchi (Usuda-machi, Nagano). 25x150 binoculars.
Y. Nakamura (Yokkaichi, Mie). 20x120 binoculars.
A. Hale (Las Cruces, NM). 0.41-m reflector. Magnitude estimate
with 10x50 binoculars.
M.Mobberley (Bury St Edmunds) 0.36-m reflector. 2' diameter,
diffuse with central condensation. 1' extension in PA 030.
IAUC 4980 and other sources
COMET AUSTIN (1989c1)
Total visual magnitude estimates: Mar. 5.93 UT, 6.8 (V. F. de Assis
Neto, Sao Francisco de Oliveira, Brazil, 10x70 binoculars);
7.50, 6.6 (A. Pearce, Scarborough, W. Australia, 20x80 binoculars);
11.50, 6.5 (Pearce); 13.49, 6.4 (Pearce); 14.49, 6.3 (Pearce).
IAUC 4979
Z. Sekanina, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of
Technology, writes: "The orientation and extent of the dust tail
on Feb. 25-26 and Mar. 2, as communicated respectively by West (IAUC
4970) and by Gilmore (IAUC 4975), are diagnostic of submillimeter-
size and larger particles released between about 900 and 500 days
before perihelion, when the comet was at heliocentric distances
between 10 and 7 AU. Early tail formation of this kind is
characteristic of new, Oort-cloud comets. Predicted position angles
for this tail: Mar. 10, 158 deg; 20, 157 deg; 30, 150 deg; Apr. 9,
124 deg; 19, 85 deg; 29, 60 deg; May 9, 42 deg; 19, 24 deg; 29,
358 deg; June 8, 333 deg; 18, 327 deg."
IAUC 4977
Guy M Hurst