THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 398 1990 Mar 29 19.29UT
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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POSSIBLE SUPERNOVA IN NGC 3359 (=Q1990/34)
David Greenwood, Morecambe, reports an observation of a possible
supernova in NGC 3359 (RA 10h43.4m DEC +63 30',1950). On Mar 28
at 00.25UT he noted a magnitude 14 object 120"N and 45"W of the
nucleus using a 0.47-m reflector x80. There is no corresponding
object on the TA patrol chart of 850423, the Salmi charts or the
Palomar Sky Survey. A photograph of the galaxy by Alan Young
appeared in The Astronomer Vol 22 No 253 of 1985 May showing an
earlier supernova, 1985H. Confirmation is urgently required.
 
POSSIBLE OUTBURST OF UZ BOO
Patrick Schmeer, West Germany, has reported a possible sighting
of UZ Boo, a UG star with rare outbursts, and located at:
RA 14h41m42s DEC +22 13.3' (1950). Patrick estimated it at
magnitude 13 in difficult conditions on 1990 Mar 27 at 23.10UT.
Following a request for confirmation from the Editor, Stephen
Lubbock reported that it was not seen on Mar 28 at 23.10UT to
a limit of 14.4 but Gary Poyner, Birmingham has subsequently
telephoned a report of a tentative sighting at 14.8 on Mar 28
at 23.20UT. As confirmation is not yet totally clear, further
observations are urgently needed.
 
COMET AUSTIN (1989c1)
The orbital elements below, by B. G. Marsden, Center for
Astrophysics, from MPC 16205, are based on observations through
Mar.17, with corresponding 'original' and 'future' 1/a, respectively
(+/- 0.00009, in units of AU**-1):  -0.00019, -0.00057.
                    Epoch = 1990 Apr. 19.0 ET
     T = 1990 Apr.  9.9708 ET         Peri. =  61.5625
     e = 1.000301                     Node  =  75.2223  1950.0
     q = 0.349854 AU                  Incl. =  58.9574
     The predicted magnitudes are from the formula on IAUC 4926:
     1990 ET      R.A. (1950) Decl.     Delta      r       m1
     Apr. 19     1 06.17    +34 04.2    0.810    0.434     2.8
          24     0 42.48    +35 42.3
          29     0 16.72    +35 58.0    0.601    0.625     3.4
     May   4    23 47.82    +35 04.4
           9    23 13.08    +32 50.4    0.418    0.830     3.5
          14    22 28.19    +28 29.0
          19    21 28.10    +20 18.7    0.273    1.029     3.3
          24    20 11.89    + 6 41.0
          29    18 50.83    - 9 16.4    0.250    1.219     3.6
     June  3    17 42.28    -21 00.3
           8    16 52.88    -27 32.4    0.388    1.401     5.0
 
     Total visual magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 4983):  Mar. 23.48
UT, 5.8 (A. Pearce, Scarborough, W. Australia, 20x80 binoculars);
24.14, 5.8 (C. S. Morris, Pine Mountain Club, CA, 20x80 binoculars);
26.14, 5.2: (Morris); 26.79, 5.7 (J.-C. Merlin, Le Creusot, France,
0.40-m reflector); 27.05, 5.6 (G. Kronk, Troy, IL, 20x80 binoculars;
tail about 1 deg in p.a. 70 deg).
IAUC 4985
 
Guy M Hurst