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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 914       1995 Jan 08 10.45UT
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
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PERIODIC COMET SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 3 (1994w)
K. Birkle, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg;
H.Bohnhardt, Astronomical Institute, University of Munich; and
G.Schwehm, ESTEC, Noordwijk, report their recovery of this comet
with the prime-focus CCD camera on the 3.5-m reflector at
Calar Alto, as follows:
     1994 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       m1
     Dec. 28.03183   10 29 24.2    +23 50 51     22
          29.07865   10 29 22.7    +23 57 07
There was no detectable coma.  The indicated correction to the
prediction on MPC 20123 is Delta T = +0.15 day.
IAUC 6122

SUPERNOVA 1994ak IN NGC 2782
S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery of a possible
supernova (mag 16.3) by Reiki Kushida at Yatsugatake South Base
Observatory.  Found on an unfiltered CCD image taken on Dec. 24.856
UT, the candidate's position is R.A. = 9h10m50s.13, Decl. =
+40o18'47".1 (equinox 1950.0; measured by Y. Kushida), which is 50"
west and 30" south of the center of NGC 2782.  Additional CCD
magnitudes:  Dec. 17, [16.4; 27.762, 16.1.  A star of mag 16.7 is
located 60" west and 35" north of the galaxy's center.
IAUC 6122
M. W. Richmond, Princeton University; and R. R. Treffers,S.
D. Van Dyk, and A. V. Filippenko, University of California at
Berkeley, confirm that there is a new starlike object in NGC 2782,
presumably a supernova. Observations were conducted as part of the
Leuschner Observatory Supernova Search, which uses an automated
0.76-m telescope equipped with the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory CCD
camera.  The supernova (R= 17.4 +/- 0.8) is located about 58" west
and 33" south of the galaxy's nucleus in an image obtained on 1994
Dec. 30 UT; it is also barely visible in a mediocre image obtained
on Dec. 23, but not visible (upper limit R = 19) in a good image on
Dec. 1.
S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, forwards the following additional
unfiltered CCD magnitudes of SN 1994ak obtained with a 0.25-m
Schmidt-Cassegrain by Y. Kushida at Yatsugatake South Base
Observatory:  1994 Dec. 25.780 UT, 15.9; 28.591, 16.0; 29.619,
16.0; 31.616, 16.1; 1995 Jan. 1.645, 16.3; 2.600, 16.3.
D. Balam, Climenhaga Observatory, Victoria, provides the
following magnitude and precise 2000.0 position for SN 1994ak
obtained on Jan. 3.44 UT:  V = 18, R.A. = 9h14m01s.47, Decl. =
+40o06'21".5; the supernova is indicated as being about 43" west
and 27" south of the galaxy's centre.
IAUC 6123

BAA VSS DIRECTOR
At a meeting of the BAA Council yesterday, Gary Poyner, Birmingham,
UK was appointed the new Director of its Variable Star Section.
Gary will already be known to you as co-ordinator of the Recurrent
Objects Programme of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. We extend our
congratulations and best wishes to him in this additional new role
for the British Astronomical Association.

Guy M Hurst