------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1195 1997 May 18 09.23UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET C/1996 J1 (EVANS-DRINKWATER): NUCLEUS SPLIT S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports that low-altitude CCD observations by J. Kobayashi (using a 0.41-m reflector at Kumamoto Civil Astronomical Observatory) on May 5.8 UT show a bright condensation ("nucleus A") of m1 = 9.8 and a fainter condensation ("nucleus B") of m1 = 12.9, separated from the former by about 81" in PA072. There is a tail 5' long in PA260, probably from nucleus A and thus influencing its brightness estimate above. The comet's splitting was confirmed by A.Sugie (using a 0.60-m reflector at Dynic Astronomical Observatory) on May 9.8, with the condensations at m1 = 12.6 and 13.7, respectively. From its better fit with the 1996 observations, Nakano suggests that nucleus B is the principal one, a point that is consistent with its earlier perihelion time (by 0.12 day if one represents the observations with otherwise identical orbital elements). Ephemeris from the orbital elements (nucleus B) on MPEC 1997-J10: 1997 TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 May 12 1 14.84 +25 25.6 3.113 2.282 28.9 12.4 12.5 22 1 32.83 +27 28.9 3.170 2.388 33.2 13.4 12.8 June 1 1 49.70 +29 21.5 3.215 2.495 38.0 14.5 13.0 11 2 05.39 +31 04.4 3.249 2.602 43.1 15.5 13.2 IAUC 6653 SUPERNOVAE The High-Z Supernova Search Team report the discovery of eleven supernovae on CCD images taken at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) by P. Garnavich and J. Jensen. The supernovae were identified by B. Schmidt and J. Tonry by comparing images taken on Apr. 29 and 30 UT with those obtained on Apr. 4 and 5. SN 1997 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. I z type 1997ca Apr. 29 14 16 40.24 +52 31 59.2 22.6 0.52 Ia 1997cb Apr. 29 14 17 55.41 +52 19 00.6 23.7 0.28 II? 1997cc Apr. 29 14 16 33.59 +52 23 37.7 23.5 1997cd Apr. 29 17 06 17.07 +44 04 34.0 22.9 0.51 Ia 1997ce Apr. 29 17 07 48.26 +44 01 26.2 23.3 0.44 Ia 1997cf Apr. 29 17 06 43.08 +43 54 14.0 23.7 1997cg Apr. 29 17 06 46.96 +43 49 14.1 23.5 ? ? 1997ch Apr. 29 12 37 28.92 +62 06 42.8 23.5 1997ci Apr. 29 12 37 13.41 +62 05 20.5 23.5 1997cj Apr. 29 12 37 04.27 +62 26 24.9 22.8 0.50 Ia 1997ck Apr. 29 16 53 00.27 +35 03 46.4 24 0.97 ? With z about 1, SN 1997ck is the most distant supernova yet observed. IAUC 6646 SUPERNOVA 1997cl IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY The Mount Stromlo Abell Cluster Supernova Search Team report the discovery of an apparent supernova (R = 18.3) on V and R CCD images taken on May 2 by S. Sabine on the Mount Stromlo 1.27-m telescope (+ Macho Camera). SN 1997cl is located near Abell 3577 at R.A. = 13h54m18s.71, Decl. = -27o44'27".9 (2000). IAUC 6647 Guy M Hurst