------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1034 1996 Jan 16 12.00UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. phone/FAX(01256)471074 Int:+441256471074 INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET 1996 A1 Robert Jedicke, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, reports the discovery, by Victoria Jedicke and himself, of a comet with the Spacewatch telescope at Kitt Peak. There is a tail 6' long in p.a. about 290 deg. 1996 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1 Jan. 14.26142 9 24 18.02 + 7 08 53.2 17.0 14.36210 9 24 15.45 + 7 08 55.8 14.52254 9 24 11.32 + 7 09 00.3 15.28146 9 23 52.55 + 7 09 23.5 15.40406 9 23 49.35 + 7 09 27.6 17.1 15.52343 9 23 46.23 + 7 09 31.8 IAUC6287 This comet is a good challenge for suitably equipped observers. The following ephemeris should help in locating it over the next few nights but it should only be used as a guide since there is no official orbit yet. Date R.A. (2000) Dec. Motion h m o ' "/hr P.A. 1996 Jan 16.00 9 23.57 +7 9.8 16 275 16.10 9 23.53 +7 9.9 16 275 16.20 9 23.48 +7 9.9 16 275 16.30 9 23.44 +7 10.0 16 275 16.40 9 23.40 +7 10.0 16 275 16.50 9 23.36 +7 10.1 16 275 16.60 9 23.31 +7 10.2 16 276 16.70 9 23.27 +7 10.2 16 276 16.80 9 23.23 +7 10.3 16 276 16.90 9 23.18 +7 10.4 16 276 17.00 9 23.14 +7 10.4 16 276 17.10 9 23.10 +7 10.5 16 276 17.20 9 23.05 +7 10.5 16 276 17.30 9 23.01 +7 10.6 16 276 17.40 9 22.97 +7 10.7 16 276 17.50 9 22.92 +7 10.7 16 276 17.60 9 22.88 +7 10.8 16 276 17.70 9 22.84 +7 10.9 16 276 17.80 9 22.79 +7 11.0 16 276 17.90 9 22.75 +7 11.0 16 276 18.00 9 22.70 +7 11.1 16 276 18.10 9 22.66 +7 11.2 16 276 18.20 9 22.62 +7 11.2 16 276 18.30 9 22.57 +7 11.3 16 276 18.40 9 22.53 +7 11.4 17 276 18.50 9 22.48 +7 11.5 17 276 18.60 9 22.44 +7 11.5 17 276 18.70 9 22.40 +7 11.6 17 277 18.80 9 22.35 +7 11.7 17 277 18.90 9 22.31 +7 11.8 17 277 19.00 9 22.26 +7 11.8 17 277 19.10 9 22.22 +7 11.9 17 277 19.20 9 22.17 +7 12.0 17 277 19.30 9 22.13 +7 12.1 17 277 19.40 9 22.08 +7 12.2 17 277 19.50 9 22.04 +7 12.2 17 277 19.60 9 21.99 +7 12.3 17 277 19.70 9 21.95 +7 12.4 17 277 19.80 9 21.90 +7 12.5 17 277 19.90 9 21.86 +7 12.6 17 277 TA WORLD WIDE WEB LINKS The TA Web page now includes a section which contains links to TA member's own home pages. If you have your own personal Web page, perhaps describing your observatory or your current observing projects, please contact the undersigned (ndj@astro1.demon.co.uk) so that we may include it. Nick James