-------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 881 1994 Aug 30 21.20UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074
INTERNET: GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK or GMH at GXVG.AST.CAM.AC.UK
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PERIODIC COMET MACHHOLZ 2 (1994o) - SECOND COMPONENT
A report was received earlier today via the Central Bureau to the
effect that Michael Jager in Vienna, Austria has found a second
cometary object in the same field as Periodic Comet (1994o).
The motion appear similar to the existing comet suggesting it is
a fragment of the same object but much fainter near mag 11.
The description from Jager is of a nebulous object with condensation
about 5 arc minutes in diameter implying it will be difficult to
record although his discovery was using 0.20-m Schmidt and
Kodak 2415 film (on Aug 28).
The following ephemeris for the second object is by Dan Green:
1994 TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1
Aug 30 7 31.52 +45 29.3 0.444 0.824 53.2 101.3 11.4
Sept. 1 7 42.56 +43 06.5 0.464 0.811 52.0 101.2 11.4
3 7 52.41 +40 49.2 0.484 0.798 51.0 100.9 11.4
5 8 01.32 +38 37.5 0.505 0.788 50.2 100.2 11.5
7 8 09.49 +36 31.5 0.527 0.778 49.6 99.3 11.5
9 8 17.08 +34 31.0 0.550 0.770 49.2 98.1 11.6
11 8 24.20 +32 35.6 0.573 0.763 48.9 96.7 11.6
13 8 30.95 +30 45.0 0.597 0.758 48.6 95.2 11.7
15 8 37.40 +28 59.1 0.621 0.755 48.5 93.4 11.7
This represents a very unusual opportunity to photograph two comet
components in the same field although care will be needed as the
separation is currently about 50 arc minutes. Astrometry is also
very important to track each comet and establish whether the two
objects are moving apart. Observations are therefore urgently
required.
Guy M Hurst