THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 526 1991 June 1 11.45UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074
Telex: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G JANET BOXES:
GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK or GUYH at UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER
TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 PRESTEL 256471074
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DEBEHOGNE'S OBJECT IN LIBRA
M. Della Valle and P. Padovani, European Southern Observatory;
and P. Rafanelli, Padova Observatory, communicate: "Analysis of CCD
spectra obtained at La Silla on Mar. 21 UT with the ESO/Max-Planck-
Institut 2.2-m telescope (+ Boller and Chivens spectrograph, range
380-930 nm, resolution 2 nm) and on Mar. 21.3 with the ESO 1.52-m
telescope (range 460-750 nm, resolution 0.9 nm) reveal that the
object discovered by Debehogne (IAUC 5131) is a galaxy, definitely
not a dwarf nova. The only lines present in the spectrum are
H-alpha, [N II] (654.8, 658.3 nm), and [S II] (671.6, 673.1 nm),
and they show an instrumental profile (FWHM = 0.9 nm). No trace of
either H-beta or [O III] is detectable. All lines are redshifted,
and their displacement corresponds to z = 0.0365. The line ratio
log ([N II]/H-alpha) = -0.50 indicates that the gas is ionized by a
thermal source, as it should be in typical H II regions. On the
other hand, the ratio log ([S II]/H-alpha) = -0.30 is too high for
thermal ionization. The lack of any trace of [O III] at 495.9 and
500.7 nm supports the idea that this object may be an H II-region
galaxy."
M. Di Martino, Torino Observatory, reports photometric
observations obtained on 1990 Sept. 18 with the ESO 1-m telescope
at La Silla: V = 15.5, B-V = +0.63, U-B = -0.47.
IAUC 5272
Mike Collins, Sandy, e-mails that addition to the original report
by Debehogne of variation (see TA E-Circular 460, 1990), his search
of the GSC shows that GSC 5005.00388 is the candidate which has a
classification of "O" (i.e. stellar) and not "3" (galaxy). This
therefore does not support the proposal that this object is a
galaxy.
Using the e-chart (TA E-Circular 465, 1990) Gary Poyner, Birmingham
reports visual magnitude estimates with a 0.4-m reflector:
1991 Apr 8.06UT, 15.4; 16.06, 15.5; 20.01, 15.5.
(878) MILDRED
G. V. Williams, Center for Astrophysics, has identified this minor
planet, lost since its discovery opposition of 1916, with
single-night observations made in 1985 and 1991. A trio of
positions on 1991 Apr 10 was identified in E. W. Elst's survey with
the 1.0-m Schmidt at the European Southern Observatory. The 1985
Nov. 11 observation is the second of a pair obtained two days apart
by L. V. Zhuravleva with the 0.4-m astrograph at the Crimean
Astrophysical Observatory and given the single designation 1985 VV2
on MPC 12273 in 1987. Further confirmation of the identification
has been obtained in consultation with R. H. McNaught, who had
already marked the faint image on a single exposure by M. R. S.
Hawkins with the 1.2-m U.K. Schmidt on 1984 Apr. 25 as a possible
candidate for (878). The following orbit by Williams satisfies 18
positions 1916-1991 (the 1916 positions being remeasurements by J.
Gibson in 1987 of the original plates obtained by S. B. Nicholson
and H.Shapley with the 1.5-m Mt. Wilson reflector) with a mean
residual of 0".7:
Epoch = 1991 Dec. 10.0 ET
T = 1992 Oct. 21.4784 ET Peri. = 189.5634
e = 0.227893 Node = 172.3001 1950.0
q = 1.822025 AU Incl. = 2.0651
a = 2.359808 AU n = 0.2718874 P = 3.625 years
IAUC 5275
Guy M Hurst