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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1377      1999 Jan 16 16.46UT
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 1999 A1
A. C. Beresford, Myrtle Bank, South Australia, reports the visual
discovery of a comet by Justin Tilbrook.  Available observations:

     1999 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Jan. 12.486     23 38.0       -28 12        10.5   Tilbrook
          13.46014   23 39 05.62   -29 44 24.1          Garradd
          13.46231   23 39 05.69   -29 44 34.2            "
          13.46432   23 39 05.84   -29 44 43.6            "
          13.46918   23 39 06.06   -29 45 07.5            "
          13.47238   23 39 06.23   -29 45 23.1            "
          13.47668   23 39 06.42   -29 45 43.4            "
          13.48825   23 39 07.03   -29 46 40.0   11.5     "
          13.49226   23 39 07.21   -29 46 59.6          Zoltowski
          13.49604   23 39 07.43   -29 47 17.9            "
          13.50104   23 39 07.67   -29 47 42.7            "

J. Tilbrook (Clare, South Australia).  0.2-m f/6 reflector, 70x.
Hourly motion 120" southward.  40"-50" coma, hint of nucleus, no
tail.  Jan. 13.49 UT:  m1 = 10.2, 70"-80" coma (0.15-m f/6
reflector).
IAUC 7084 (extract)

Andrew Pearce, Nedlands, Western Australia has e-mailed TA with
the following initial visual observations:

1999 Jan 14.55UT: m1=10.6, Dia=1.5', DC=5...0.41-m reflector

1999 Jan 15.54UT: m1=10.7, Dia=1.5', DC=4...0.41-m reflector

He estimated the comet's position for the second observation as:

               RA 23h 40.5m Dec -32 22' (2000)


SUPERNOVA 1999A IN NGC 5874
M. Modjaz, E. Halderson, T. Shefler, J. Y. King, M. Papenkova,
W. Li, R. R. Treffers, and A. V. Filippenko, University of
California at Berkeley, report their discovery of an apparent
supernova during the course of the Lick Observatory Supernova
Search with the 0.8-m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT).
SN 1999A was discovered and confirmed on unfiltered observations
taken on Jan. 10.6 (mag about 18.3) and 11.6 UT (mag about 18.2;
limiting mag 19.5-20.0).  The new object is located at
R.A. = 15h07m55s.28, Decl. = +54o45'40".0 (2000.0), which is about
29".9 east and 30".1 north of the nucleus of NGC 5874. There is a
star of mag 16.2 very close to SN 1999A with position end figures
55s.10, 45".2.
IAUC 7083 (extract)

Guy M Hurst