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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1110      1996 Aug 10 00.00UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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COMET P/1996 P1 (IRAS)
R. M. McNaught, Anglo-Australian Observatory, reports his recovery
of comet P/1983 M1 (= 1983j = 1983 XIV) on a plate taken by
Q. A. Parker.  The following observations yield an indicated
correction to the prediction by K. Muraoka on MPC 22033 (ephemeris
on MPC 25985) of Delta(T) = -1.65 days:

     1996 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Aug.  8.70684    0 41 55.57   -62 34 47.4   13     Parker
           9.56843    0 39 43.05   -62 35 33.4          Garradd
           9.56937    0 39 43.00   -62 35 33.6            "
           9.57040    0 39 42.77   -62 35 33.5            "
           9.57224    0 39 42.51   -62 35 33.7            "
           9.57298    0 39 42.30   -62 35 33.4            "

Q. A. Parker (Siding Spring).  U.K. Schmidt telescope.  Measured by
McNaught.  Comet strongly condensed with 1'.0 fan tail toward
p.a. 290 deg.
G. Garradd (Loomberah).  0.25-m f/4.1 reflector + CCD.

     The following improved orbital elements by Dan Green are
     from 85 observations 1983-1996 (mean residual 1".0):

                    Epoch = 1996 Nov. 13.0 TT
     T = 1996 Oct. 29.9968 TT         Peri. = 356.8876
     e = 0.696589                     Node  = 357.7007  2000.0
     q = 1.702690 AU                  Incl. =  45.9617
       a =  5.611833 AU    n = 0.0741390    P =  13.294 years

1996 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong. Phase    m1
Aug.  5     0 50.44   -62 27.8   1.224   1.940  119.8   27.0   12.2
     10     0 38.56   -62 35.8   1.178   1.916  121.7   26.8   12.0
     15     0 23.72   -62 31.4   1.134   1.892  123.5   26.5   11.8
     20     0 06.21   -62 09.0   1.093   1.870  125.2   26.2   11.6
     25    23 46.69   -61 22.7   1.057   1.848  126.7   26.0   11.5
     30    23 26.15   -60 07.5   1.025   1.828  127.9   25.8   11.3
Sept. 4    23 05.72   -58 19.9   0.998   1.809  128.7   25.8   11.1
      9    22 46.50   -55 58.9   0.977   1.792  129.1   25.9   11.0
     14    22 29.33   -53 05.9   0.963   1.776  128.8   26.2   10.9
     19    22 14.70   -49 45.1   0.956   1.761  127.9   26.8   10.8
     24    22 02.78   -46 02.3   0.956   1.748  126.3   27.6   10.8

IAUC 6446 (Extract)

Martin Mobberley