THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 627 1992 Apr 18 17.35UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(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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COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY (1992f)
A new comet has been discovered by C. S. Shoemaker, E. M.Shoemaker
and D. H. Levy with the 0.46-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar. There
is possibly a very faint tail in p.a. 270 deg. E. Bowell, Lowell
Observatory, communicates the following measurements of the Palomar
films by C. M. Olmstead:
1992 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1
Apr. 5.48923 15 13 08.10 -17 05 41.0
7.43263 15 12 35.93 -16 58 32.3 17.0
7.46979 15 12 35.17 -16 58 23.3
8.35277 15 12 19.06 -16 54 59.4
8.36024 15 12 18.91 -16 54 57.2
The following parabolic orbital elements are by Marsden. It is
quite likely that the comet is a short-period one.
T = 1992 Oct. 28.016 TT Peri. = 97.197
Node = 215.879 2000.0
q = 1.43542 AU Incl. = 8.399
1992 TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. m1
Mar. 29 15 14.45 -17 28.9 2.307 3.119 137.8 17.3
Apr. 3 15 13.71 -17 14.1 2.211 3.069 142.9 17.1
8 15 12.43 -16 56.3 2.120 3.018 148.2 16.9
13 15 10.62 -16 35.4 2.035 2.967 153.6 16.8
18 15 08.29 -16 11.4 1.956 2.917 159.1 16.6
23 15 05.48 -15 44.4 1.884 2.866 164.7 16.4
28 15 02.23 -15 14.6 1.817 2.815 170.4 16.3
May 3 14 58.61 -14 42.2 1.758 2.764 175.8 16.1
8 14 54.70 -14 07.7 1.705 2.714 176.6 16.0
IAUC 5493
SUPERNOVA 1992P IN IC 3690
J. Maza, University of Chile; and M. Hamuy, Cerro Tololo Inter-
american Observatory, report the discovery by R. Antezana of a
supernova located about 6" west and 11" north of the nucleus of the
spiral galaxy IC 3690 (R.A. = 12h40m17s.8, Decl. = +10d37'51",
equinox 1950.0). The supernova (mpg = 16.5-17.0) was found on a
20-min unfiltered IIa-O plate taken by L. Wells with the Curtis
Schmidt telescope on Apr. 3.203 UT. The supernova was not present
on a IIa-O plate taken with the same telescope by Antezana on Mar.
9 (mpg [ 20). Confirmation was made by C. Bailyn and Y.-C. Kim from
B and V CCD images obtained on Apr. 6.2 with the CTIO 0.9-m
telescope, the former yielding B = 16.2.
IAUC 5491
SUNSETS
Brian Manning, Stakenbridge has e-mailed the following:
"I had so many interesting replies to my previous comment on
coloured sunsets that I thought it worthwhile mentioning what I
think is another manifestation of Pinatubo's dust or sulphuric
acid. On the 4th of April I had the now rare pleasure of a clear
sky at sunset and noticed that the sky around the sun was intensely
bright half an hour so before sunset. I had also noticed this one
afternoon earlier this year. There was none of the colour effect
long after sunset as seen last year. I assume that this new effect
is due to very fine particles causing forward scattPC
19703) is Delta T = -0.84 day.
1992 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1
Apr. 1.34536 10 11 30.23 + 4 49 29.8 20.4
1.36634 10 11 29.83 + 4 49 39.0
4.27955 10 10 36.87 + 5 09 32.7
4.30044 10 10 36.45 + 5 09 40.9
4.32059 10 10 36.14 + 5 09 50.1 20.6
Improved orbital elements from 41 observations 1986-1992:
Epoch = 1992 Oct. 25.0 TT
T = 1992 Oct. 27.2349 TT Peri. = 46.6455
e = 0.413766 Node = 192.6170 2000.0
q = 2.026662 AU Incl. = 9.1929
a = 3.457086 AU n = 0.1533341 P = 6.428 years
IAUC 5490
Guy M Hurst