------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1117 1996 Aug 22 06.56UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 1996aq IN NGC 5584 S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports that Masakatsu Aoki, Tsukioka-cho, Toyama, has discovered a supernova (mag 15.7-16.1) in NGC 5584 on CCD frames taken on Aug. 17.487 UT with a 0.43-m f/6 reflector. Aoki measured the position of the supernova: R.A. = 14h22m22s.73, Decl. = -0 23'24".3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 15" west and 8" south of the centre of NGC 5584. No star was present at this position on frames taken by Aoki on Apr. 28, May 14, 19, and 26 or on frames taken by R. Kushida (Yatsugatake South Base Observatory) on Apr. 18 and May 24. R. and Y. Kushida report the following position end figures and magnitude for SN 1996aq from an unfiltered CCD frame taken on Aug. 18.444: 22s.72, 23".8, mag15.0. IAUC 6454 (extract) COMET P/1996 N2 (ELST-PIZARRO) On Aug. 7 Eric W. Elst, Royal Observatory, Uccle, reported his discovery of a possible comet on mid-July exposures by Guido Pizarro with the 1.0-m Schmidt at the European Southern Observatory Further ESO Schmidt plates were then obtained, and on Aug. 19, with the help of orbit computations by Brian Marsden, Elst was able to identify the object on them. The continued presence of a tail seemingly confirms the object as a "comet", even though the orbit is completely that of a main-belt minor planet with the implied long-term stability. 1996 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1 Observer July 14.27639 22 00 05.53 -11 16 51.5 18.3 Pizarro 16.29514 21 59 21.38 -11 21 23.5 " Aug. 8.27986 21 45 48.76 -12 42 18.0 " 8.97986 21 45 18.07 -12 45 23.6 Pollas 8.99028 21 45 17.57 -12 45 25.3 " 21.26023 21 36 05.96 -13 38 53.1 18.2 Offutt 21.28061 21 36 04.98 -13 38 58.7 18.5 " IAUC 6456 (extract) The orbital elements below, by Brian Marsden, are from 15 observations July 14-Aug. 21. Identity with the asteroidal object 1979 OW7, observed at Siding Spring and Palomar on 1979 July 24 and 25 at mag 19.5, seems likely (with T = 1979 July 13.9). T = 1996 Apr. 16.0159 TT Peri. = 132.4528 e = 0.170415 Node = 160.3483 2000.0 q = 2.617717 AU Incl. = 1.3754 a = 3.155453 AU n = 0.1758375 P = 5.605 years 1996 TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong Phase m1 Aug. 15 21 40.78 -13 11.7 1.657 2.670 179.1 0.3 17.4 20 21 37.03 -13 33.4 1.665 2.674 174.8 2.0 17.4 25 21 33.40 -13 54.4 1.680 2.679 169.0 4.1 17.4 30 21 30.02 -14 14.1 1.700 2.683 163.3 6.2 17.4 IAUC 6457 (extract) Guy M Hurst