THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 563      1991 Sept 18 20.30UT
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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SUPERNOVA 1991av IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
J. Mueller reports her discovery of a supernova at
R.A. =21 53 28.5, Decl. = +0 45 38 (1950.0), 7".4 E and 4".7
north of the nucleus of an anonymous galaxy.  The supernova was of
mag about 18 (red) on a plate taken on Sept. 4 by C. Brewer and
herself with the 1.2-m Oschin telescope in the course of PSS II. A
spectrum obtained by M. Schmidt and D. Schneider with the 5-m Hale
telescope (+ 4 shooter + spectrograph) on Sept. 6 shows it to be of
type II.
IAUC 5338

COMET McNAUGHT-RUSSELL (1991w)
The following precise positions have been reported: (cf E560)
     1991 UT             R.A. (1950) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Sept. 5.55454   21 54 24.79   - 2 09 36.9          McNaught
           6.55718   21 53 53.12   - 2 17 57.9            "
           7.63473   21 53 19.22   - 2 26 55.1    18    Seki
           7.64827   21 53 18.77   - 2 27 00.9            "
           8.60880   21 52 48.86   - 2 35 01.9          McNaught
R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring). Uppsala Southern Schmidt. Film dark
   on Sept. 6.
T. Seki (Geisei).  0.6-m reflector.
The following parabolic orbital elements, from the nine available
observations Sept. 3-8, are rather uncertain, but they suggest that
this comet may have a near-record large perihelion distance:
     T = 1991 Jan. 12.975 ET          Peri. = 154.056
                                      Node  = 149.352   1950.0
     q = 7.11258 AU                   Incl. = 104.876

     1991 ET      R.A. (1950) Decl.     Delta      r       m1
     Sept. 1    21 56.85    - 1 31.7    6.277    7.266    17.6
          11    21 51.59    - 2 54.9
          21    21 46.79    - 4 16.8    6.412    7.294    17.7
     Oct.  1    21 42.64    - 5 35.5
          11    21 39.28    - 6 49.2    6.667    7.323    17.8
          21    21 36.84    - 7 56.8
          31    21 35.34    - 8 57.6    7.009    7.355    17.9
     Nov. 10    21 34.79    - 9 51.2
          20    21 35.16    -10 37.6    7.390    7.388    18.0
IAUC 5339

SUPERNOVA 1991aw IN Zw 322-02
C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, reports his discovery
of a possible supernova at R.A. = 17h42m20s.49, Decl.= +67d30'29.3"
(equinox 1950.0), 1".9 west and 9".3 north of the center of the
galaxy Zw 322-02 = KA 155, a spiral galaxy of mpg = 15.4. The
supernova, of mag about 20, appeared on 4415-emulsion films
(limiting mag 21) obtained with the 0.9-m Schmidt at Caussols on
Sept. 4.9 and 5.9 UT. Nothing is visible on similar films obtained
on July 9.0 and June 9.0 UT (to limiting mag 22), and neither is
anything on the POSS prints. The object is near SAO 017612.
IAUC 5340

Guy M Hurst