THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 801       1993 Dec 25 17.20UT
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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COMET McNAUGHT-RUSSELL (1993v)
Robert H. McNaught reports the following measurements of a comet
that he discovered on a U.K. Schmidt Telescope plate taken by
Kenneth S. Russell.  The comet shows a coma of diameter 8" and a
very faint tail 10" long in p.a. 20o.  The object's westward motion
was confirmed in an observation with the Siding Spring 0.61-m
reflector (+ CCD) on Dec. 18.

     1993 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1
     Dec. 17.46003    3 06 33.47   -56 33 24.0   17.5
	  17.50865    3 06 28.62   -56 33 23.1

IAUC 5910

A subsequent report:
R. H. McNaught provides remeasurements of the discovery R plate
taken by K. S. Russell (IAUC 5910) and also astrometry obtained by
McNaught and G. J. Garradd with the 0.61-m reflector at
Siding Spring:
     1993 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Dec. 17.46003    3 06 33.61   -56 33 25.7   17.5   Russell
	  17.50865    3 06 28.78   -56 33 25.1            "
	  18.57315    3 04 46.10   -56 32 34.2          McNaught
	  18.59508    3 04 43.97   -56 32 32.5            "
	  18.59767    3 04 43.69   -56 32 32.2            "
	  18.60024    3 04 43.69   -56 32 32.2            "
	  19.58014    3 03 11.00   -56 31 12.9            "
	  19.58390    3 03 10.68   -56 31 12.7            "

     Preliminary parabolic orbital elements by B. G. Marsden,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, from the above
observations:

     T = 1994 Apr.  1.357 TT          Peri. = 353.565
				      Node  = 166.772   2000.0
     q = 0.86594 AU                   Incl. =  52.027

1993/94     R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong. Phase    m1
Dec. 19     3 04.10   -56 32.0   1.609   1.928   92.9   30.6   17.4
     24     2 56.64   -56 19.0   1.575   1.863   90.4   31.9   17.2
     29     2 50.16   -55 53.3   1.539   1.798   88.0   33.1   17.0
Jan.  3     2 44.84   -55 15.7   1.502   1.732   85.7   34.5   16.8
      8     2 40.80   -54 27.1   1.463   1.667   83.4   35.9   16.5
     13     2 38.14   -53 28.0   1.421   1.602   81.3   37.4   16.3
     18     2 36.90   -52 19.0   1.377   1.537   79.3   39.0   16.1
     23     2 37.07   -51 00.3   1.329   1.472   77.5   40.7   15.8
     28     2 38.62   -49 31.7   1.278   1.408   75.8   42.7   15.5

IAUC 5911