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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1172      1997 Feb 23 14.57UT
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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GO COM (=Q1997/014)
Patrick Schmeer reports that he has detected an outburst of GO Com
a UG star on the Recurrent Objects List of the UK Nova/Supernova
Patrol:
1997 Feb 3.007UT, [15.3v (Gary Poyner, Birmingham 0.40-m refl.)
         7.111UT,  14.0v (Patrick Schmeer, Germany, 0.20-m T)
         7.194UT,  13.7v (Schmeer)
         7.317UT,  14.15V(Zissell, CCD+V)
The previous recorded outburst was on 1996 Mar 26.

SUPERNOVA 1997Z IN NGC 3261
R. Martin, A. Williams, and S. Woodings, Perth Observatory, report
the discovery of a supernova (mag R about 15.5) from a CCD frame
taken on Feb. 10.64 UT.  SN 1997Z is located 58" east and 10"
south of the centre of NGC 3261 (R.A. = 10h29m.0, Decl. = -44o39',
equinox 2000.0).
S. Benetti and M. Turatto, European Southern Observatory (ESO);
and E. Cappellaro, Osservatorio di Padova, communicate:
"Inspection of a reduced CCD spectrogram (range 380-800 nm,
resolution 1.1 nm) obtained on Feb. 12.12 UT with the ESO/MPI 2.2-m
telescope (+ EFOSC2) confirms SN 1997Z as a type-II supernova,
about 100 days after explosion. With the same instrument, we
obtained the following magnitudes for the new object: B = 19.0,
B-V = +1.4, and V-R = +1.3. The offsets from the galaxy nucleus
are 55".1 east and 8".7 south."
IAUC 6558 (extract)

COMET C/1997 BA6 (SPACEWATCH)
MPEC 1997-CO5 and 1997-C13 give observations of what appeared
(using telescopes of aperture up to 1.2 m) to be an asteroidal
object discovered by the Spacewatch program on Jan. 31 (with also
prediscovery images on Jan. 11). The object, designated 1997 BA6,
was distant and intrinsically bright (r = 9.0 AU, H = 10.0).
J. W. Parker and H. F. Levison, Southwest Research Institute;
and R. Fesen, Dartmouth College, report that 21 two-minute
exposures with the M.I.T.-Dartmouth-Michigan 2.4-m Hiltner
Telescope at Kitt Peak on Feb. 10 show 1997 BA6 clearly to have a
coma.
K. Meech, O. Hainaut and J. Bauer, University of Hawaii, report:
"CCD images of 1997 BA6, obtained with the University of Hawaii
2.2-m telescope on Mauna Kea on Feb. 17 and 18 UT, show a
low-surface-brightness coma surrounding the object.
The following orbital elements are taken from MPC 29067:
                    Epoch = 1999 Dec.  8.0 TT
     T = 1999 Dec.  4.3655 TT         Peri. = 286.1624
     e = 0.987450                     Node  = 317.6522  2000.0
     q = 3.447727 AU                  Incl. =  72.4459
1997 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase m2
Feb. 21     9 13.28    +12 58.5    7.929    8.885  164.1   1.8 19.5
Mar.  3     9 08.63    +12 58.8    7.926    8.821  153.0   2.9 19.5
     13     9 04.40    +12 57.7    7.953    8.758  142.1   4.0 19.6
     23     9 00.73    +12 54.8    8.004    8.695  131.3   4.9 19.6
Apr.  2     8 57.75    +12 49.6    8.077    8.631  120.8   5.7 19.7
     12     8 55.54    +12 41.9    8.165    8.568  110.5   6.3 19.7
     22     8 54.14    +12 31.5    8.264    8.504  100.4   6.7 19.7
IAUC 6561 (extract)

Guy M Hurst