------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1041 1996 Feb 01 19.45UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET 1996 B2 T. Nakamura, National Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo, Japan; and S. Nakano, Sumoto, report the visual discovery of another comet by Yuji Hyakutake. The following observations are available: 1996 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1 Observer Jan. 30.826 14 31.2 -24 55 11.0 Hyakutake 31.74632 14 32 03.65 -24 56 00.7 Kojima 31.74872 14 32 03.87 -24 56 00.9 11.9 Ikari 31.75363 14 32 03.94 -24 56 01.0 Kojima 31.75710 14 32 04.18 -24 56 00.4 11.7 " 31.75712 14 32 04.24 -24 56 01.2 12.0 Ikari Y. Hyakutake (Hayato-machi, Aira-gun, Kagoshima-ken). 25x150 binoculars. Comet diffuse with central condensation; coma diameter about 2'.5. Robert McNaught, Siding Spring, Australia reports the comet as moderately condensed with a 4' coma, m1 = 10 (20x120 binoculars) on 1996 Jan.31.747 UT. IAUC 6299 (extract) Guy M Hurst