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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1255      1997 Dec 06 14.42UT
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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Q1997/083
Mark Armstrong, Rolvenden, England reports the discovery of an
asteroid passing near NGC 765 during CCD searches for the UK
Nova/Supernova Patrol on 1997 Nov 30 using the 0.26-m f3.3 LX200.
He adds that checks using the TA software by Nick James and also
using the CBAT service have failed to show a known candidate for
this relatively bright object.

This information was circulated on a restricted basis and
Stephen Laurie, Church Stretton, responded by imaging an asteroid
on Dec 3 which appears to be the same object.


C1997 11 30.89600 01 58 42.69 +24 52 57.7          15.7 V     960
C1997 11 30.91380 01 58 42.07 +24 52 55.0          15.7 V     960
C1997 11 30.93664 01 58 41.17 +24 52 52.2          15.6 V     960
C1997 12 03.01980 01 57 29.53 +24 48 38.8          16.7 V     966
C1997 12 03.03787 01 57 28.95 +24 48 38.1          16.7 V     966
C1997 12 03.80852 01 57 04.92 +24 47 07.6          16.3 V     960
C1997 12 03.84831 01 57 03.71 +24 47 04.5                     960

960 - Rolvenden, 966 - Church Stretton

Stephen Laurie provides the following additional information:

The arc is too short for a three point orbit but the Vaisala orbit
solution is:

MA002
Epoch 1997 Dec. 02.0 TT =3D JDT 2450784.5
M 359.52066              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.26039861     Peri.   40.06096     +0.62903954     -0.77639303
a   2.4287171      Node    11.14827     +0.65152107     +0.49915029
e   0.0556189      Incl.   11.64507     +0.42406315     +0.38478936
P   3.78           H   12.7           G   0.15           U   ?

CAA Vaisala orbit: From 2 observations over 3 days; rms=0.1
Residuals in seconds of arc
971130 960 0.2-  0.1- 971203 966 (1.9+  2.1-) 971203 960 (0.9-1.4-)
971130 960(0.7+  0.6-)971203 966 (2.2+  0.5-) 971203 960  0.0   0.0
971130 960(0.4+  0.5-)

We would welcome further observations of this object but in the
meantime will be copying it to the Minor Planet Center in case
there have been other independent detections.

Guy M Hurst