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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1155      1997 Jan 01 12.50UT
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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SUPERNOVA 1996cb IN NGC 3510
Q. Qiao, W. Li, Y. Qiu, and J. Hu, Beijing Astronomical
Observatory (BAO), report their independent discovery of SN 1996cb;
their unfiltered CCD images yield the following magnitudes: Nov. 29
UT, [19.0: (limiting magnitude of CCD frame); Dec. 18.92, about
15.9; 19.77, 15.6.  A low-resolution, high-quality spectrogram
(0.48 nm/pixel, range 400-800 nm) taken with the 2.16-m BAO
telescope by D. W. Xu, J. M. Bai, G. W. Cha, and Q. Y. Qiao on Dec.
19.85 confirms SN 1996cb to be a type-II supernova (cf. IAUC 6524);
the Balmer lines show strong P-Cyg profiles with expansion
velocities of 12 600 (H-alpha), 7850 (H-beta), and 7210 km/s (H-
delta); Na I 589.3-nm and He I 587.6-nm lines also show P-Cyg
profiles with expansion velocities of 6670 km/s.  The spectrum is
similar to that of SN 1996W, two weeks past maximum (on Apr. 29).

EG CANCRI
Taichi Kato, Ouda, Japan reports CCD observations of EG Cancri
which indicates a plateau has again been reached:

1996 Dec 31.524UT, 16.27V
         31.708UT, 16.31V

He adds that although Tonny Vanmunster of Belgium recently reported
a superhump period of 0.058 day (CVC 120), the team at Ouda find
the object shows definite superhumps with a period of 0.0606 day
and that this period has persisted in the Ouda data since the
first re-brightening. This suggests that the cycle of repetitive
short outbursts is unrelated to the growth decay time of
superhumps.

COMET C/1995 O1 (HALE-BOPP)
Recent magnitude estimates:
1996 Dec 26.71UT, 3.7 (Mauro Zanotta, Mt.Ponna, Italy 7x42B)
         27.70UT, 3.5 (Bjorn Granslo, Tryvann, Norway naked eye)
         28.69UT, 3.5 (Martin Lehky, Hradec Kralove, Czech
                       Republic, naked eye)

COMET 22P/KOPFF
We understand from the Central Bureau that G.Cremonese has
withdrawn the report of a split nucleus in this comet
(cf IAUC 6521 and E1152) as the data was apparently incorrect.

1997 GREETINGS
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a successful
and Happy New Year.

Guy M Hurst
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