THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 672        1992 Oct 4 08.48UT
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      TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885
GMH at UK.AC.RUTHERFORD.STARLINK.ASTROPHYSICS  STARLINK: RLSAC::GMH
GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK            STARLINK: CAVAD::GMH
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PERIODIC COMET CIFFREO (1992s)
J. V. Scotti, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, reports his recovery
of this comet with the Spacewatch telescope at Kitt Peak.
On the first night there was a coma 15" across and a tail 0'.36
long in p.a. 261 deg (m2 = 20.6).
     1992 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1
     Sept.24.27955   23 47 39.92   -24 51 11.0
          24.29928   23 47 38.76   -24 51 11.4
          24.32086   23 47 37.49   -24 51 11.0   18.0
          25.24211   23 46 46.17   -24 50 57.5   18.1
          25.25011   23 46 45.68   -24 50 57.6
          25.25872   23 46 45.18   -24 50 56.8
The following improved orbital elements, by B. G. Marsden, Center
for Astrophysics, satisfy 62 observations 1985-1992 with mean
residual 0".9:
                    Epoch = 1993 Jan. 13.0 TT
     T = 1993 Jan. 23.0649 TT         Peri. = 358.0335
     e = 0.543173                     Node  =  53.7092  2000.0
     q = 1.708765 AU                  Incl. =  13.0894
       a =  3.740509 AU    n = 0.1362411    P =   7.234 years
1992/93     R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong. Phase    m1
Sept.25    23 47.00   -24 50.9   1.100   2.048  153.7   12.5   17.8
Oct.  5    23 38.05   -24 28.0   1.088   2.000  146.6   16.0   17.7
     15    23 30.86   -23 25.0   1.095   1.954  138.1   19.9   17.6
     25    23 26.60   -21 44.7   1.118   1.912  129.5   23.6   17.6
IAUC 5618

SUPERNOVA 1992ay IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
J. Maza, University of Chile; and M. Hamuy, Cerro Tololo
Interamerican Observatory, report the discovery by R. Antezana
(University of Chile) of an apparent supernova located in a system
of two anonymous galaxies (R.A. = 4h28m50s.2, Decl. = -46 30'32",
(1950). Its position is 6" east and 6" north of the southernmost
galaxy.  The supernova, of mpg about 18.5, was found on a 20-min
unfiltered IIa-O plate taken by C. Muena (CTIO) with the CTIO
Curtis Schmidt telescope on Sept. 20.323 UT.  Confirmation
was made by X. Guo (Yale University) on CCD B and V images obtained
on Sept. 25.403 with the CTIO 0.9-m telescope.
IAUC 5619

PERIODIC COMET BREWINGTON (1992p)
Herman Mikuz, Slovenia reports m1=13.2 on 1992 Sept 26.14UT.
On communicating late-September observations, S. Nakano, Sumoto,
Japan, remarks that the comet is evidently of short period.
The following improved orbital elements have been determined by
Brian Marsden from 18 observations Aug. 28-Sept. 26:
     T = 1992 June 4.050 TT           Peri. =  45.223
     e = 0.62962                      Node  = 342.919   2000.0
     q = 1.56038 AU                   Incl. =  18.096
       a =  4.21290 AU     n = 0.113981     P =   8.65 years
1992 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r   Elong. Phase m1
Sept.25     8 21.93    +35 20.5    2.185    1.963  63.9   27.3 13.6
Oct.  5     8 42.17    +34 37.5    2.150    2.024  69.2   27.5 13.7
     15     8 59.83    +33 56.3    2.109    2.087  75.0   27.5 13.8
     25     9 14.81    +33 20.6    2.062    2.151  81.4   27.2 13.9
Nov.  4     9 26.95    +32 53.6    2.010    2.217  88.4   26.6 14.0
     14     9 36.07    +32 37.5    1.955    2.283  96.1   25.5 14.0
IAUC 5622

Guy M Hurst