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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1305      1998 May 25 19.00UT
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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COMET C/1998 K2 (LINEAR)
F. Shelly, Lincoln Laboratory ETS, Socorro, reports that one of the
37 fast-moving objects found in the LINEAR program on May 24 is a new
comet. Computations at the MPC then linked this object to one of 25
fast-movers reported by the program two nights earlier.

     1998 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     May  22.36543   16 58 57.18   -28 48 32.8   15.7   Shelly
          22.38507   16 58 55.33   -28 49 07.3            "
          22.40467   16 58 52.84   -28 49 33.5   15.8     "
          22.42418   16 58 50.87   -28 50 08.9            "
          24.35255   16 55 18.85   -29 41 53.6   16.2     "
          24.37209   16 55 16.62   -29 42 24.0   16.6     "
          24.41125   16 55 12.08   -29 43 22.8            "
          24.43103   16 55 09.75   -29 43 58.1            "
          25.57032   16 53 00.06   -30 14 38.9   13.0   Zoltowski
          25.57421   16 52 59.60   -30 14 45.2   13.6     "
          25.57817   16 52 59.14   -30 14 51.8   13.7     "
          25.58261   16 52 58.61   -30 14 58.9   13.7     "
          25.58696   16 52 58.10   -30 15 06.0   13.5     "

F. Shelly, M. Blythe and M. Bezpalko (Lincoln Laboratory ETS).  1-m
   f/2.15 reflector.  Measurers J. Stuart and H. Viggh.  Tail seen May 24.
F. B. Zoltowski (Woomera).  0.3-m reflector.  Tail about 5' long near
   p.a. 350 deg.

Parabolic orbital elements, by Brian Marsden, from 10 observations
May 22-25:

     T = 1998 Sept. 3.169 TT          Peri. = 222.421
                                      Node  =  68.757   2000.0
     q = 2.30537 AU                   Incl. =  64.278

1998 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase      m1
May  22    16 59.60    -28 38.7    1.599    2.585  163.0    6.6     13.6
     27    16 50.20    -30 53.3    1.562    2.560  167.5    4.9     13.6
June  1    16 39.74    -33 08.3    1.534    2.537  168.8    4.4     13.5
      6    16 28.41    -35 20.6    1.518    2.514  166.0    5.6     13.4
     11    16 16.41    -37 27.5    1.511    2.492  160.7    7.7     13.4
     16    16 04.04    -39 26.3    1.515    2.472  154.6   10.2     13.3
     21    15 51.59    -41 15.4    1.529    2.452  148.2   12.6     13.3
     26    15 39.42    -42 53.9    1.552    2.434  141.9   14.9     13.3

IAUC 6915

Martin Mobberley