THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 646 1992 June 16 19.08UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- EUVE LAUNCHES SUCCESSFULLY The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was successfully launched from Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 12:40 pm EDT (16:40 GMT) on Sunday, June 7, 1992. All systems were green and go at the start of the launch window at 12:24 EDT, but there was a slight hold due to an aircraft in the launch range. The spacecraft orbit has been described as "perfect," with variation from the nominal altitude of approximately 2/10 of a nautical mile. The MAPS high-gain antenna was deployed, and the EUVE Science Operations Center at UC Berkeley is receiving good telemetry via TDRSS. The spacecraft has spent time in inertial mode with stars in both star trackers. It has also spent some time spinning at 1.3 RPO for star acquisition purposes. The Flight Operations Team has successfully converged aspect, and experiments with controlled slewing are underway. EUVE Electronic Newsletter Vol 1 No 14 NOVA SCORPII 1992 This object has undergone a noticeable brightening, as indicated by the following photometry: June 8.70 UT, V = 8.36, B-V = +1.05, U-B = +0.09 (W. H. Allen, Carter Observatory, observing as noted on IAUC 5536); June 10.44, 7.93, +1.10, +0.07 (Allen); June 10.488, 7.86 +/- 0.01, +1.05 +/- 0.01, +0.03 +/- 0.04, V-R = +0.76 +/- 0.01, V-I = +1.57 +/- 0.05 (P. M. Kilmartin, Mount John University Observatory). IAUC 5542 Additional visual estimates reported by Paul Camilleri, Australia: 1992 May 29.38UT, 8.4; 30.37, 8.8; June 2.38, 9.0; 4.38, 9.0; 5.38, 9.4. Guy M Hurst