THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 483 1991 Feb 03 19.15UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074
Telex: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G Microlink: MAG60138
JANET:GMH @ UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK GUYH@UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER
TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 PRESTEL 256471074
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COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY (1991d)
Carolyn S. Shoemaker, Eugene M. Shoemaker, and David H. Levy report
their discovery of a comet, as follows:
1991 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. m1 Observer
Jan. 22.42569 9 38 45.73 - 2 01 18.2 15.5 Shoemaker
22.45469 9 38 44.45 - 2 01 01.1 "
28.76094 9 34 05.39 - 0 53 19.4 15.5 McNaught
C. S. Shoemaker, E. M. Shoemaker, and D. H. Levy (Palomar). 0.46-m
Schmidt telescope films. Comet diffuse with strong condensation
and possible hint of a tail.
R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring). Uppsala Southern Schmidt telescope.
Comet strongly condensed.
IAUC 5175
Preliminary parabolic orbital elements by S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan,
from 8 observations Jan. 13-29:
T = 1991 Dec. 29.106 ET Peri. = 74.500
Node = 144.461 1950.0
q = 2.24936 AU Incl. = 77.082
1991 ET R.A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1
Feb. 3 9 29.89 + 0 08.9 3.221 4.169 15.2
8 9 25.66 + 1 13.1
13 9 21.28 + 2 21.3 3.119 4.088 15.1
18 9 16.82 + 3 33.0
23 9 12.36 + 4 47.4 3.055 4.008 15.0
IAUC 5177
SUPERNOVA 1990aj IN NGC 1640
R. H. McNaught, University of Adelaide, reports his discovery of a
supernova of mag about 18 located in a spiral arm of NGC 1640.
The discovery image is on an unfiltered Tech Pan exposure with the
Uppsala Southern Schmidt taken 1990 Dec. 18.69 UT and confirmed by a
weak image of the same brightness on a T-Max 400 exposure taken 1990
Dec. 6.49 UT. The object is located at R.A. = 4h40m05s.04, Decl. =
-20 30'56".0 (equinox 1950.0), or 10" east and 47" north of the
galaxy's centre. No image appears in this position on the ESO B, ESO
R, SERC J, or first Palomar Sky surveys. A nearby star of mag about
18.5 is located at R.A. = 4h40m04s.33, Decl. = -20 30'40".8. M.
Della Valle and L. Pasquini, European Southern Observatory, report:
"A low-resolution spectrum (range 400-900 nm, dispersion 400 A/mm)
was obtained on Jan. 30.1 UT with the 2.2-m telescope (+ EFOSC2) at
La Silla. The spectrum appears dominated by broad emission lines of
[O I] (630.0 nm; FWHM about 5500 km/s), [Ca II] (729.1 nm) + [O II]
(732.5 nm), the Ca II infrared triplet, and Na D (589.3 nm). The
absence of hydrogen emission lines indicates that this is a type-Ib
supernova at a late stage. The spectrum most closely resembles that
of SN 1985F roughly 10 months past maximum. Preliminary photometric
measurements give V = 19.1 and R = 18.4 for the same night."
IAUC 5178
Guy M Hurst