------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1525 2000 May 28 10.01UT 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/2000 K1 (LINEAR) The comet announced on E1524 has been designated as above. Further observations of May 26-27 coupled with pre-discovery data from Lincoln Laboratory ETS, New Mexico (station 704) of May 3, has enabled the following preliminary orbital elements to be calculated by Brian Marsden: T = 2000 Jan. 27.200 TT Peri. = 19.789 Node = 260.360 2000.0 q = 6.32915 AU Incl. = 117.032 MPEC 2000-K26 The following ephemeris by G.Hurst using EPH.EXE by Nick James also covers the pre-discovery period. The possible magnitude formula of m = 4.0 + 5.0 log R + 10.0 log r indicates the comet is intrinsically bright but very distant and could remain within the range of larger amateur telescopes equipped with CCD's for a long period. Date R.A. (2000) Dec. R r Elong Mag. Motion h m o ' (AU) (AU) o "/hr P.A. 2000 Apr 1.00 17 12.96 +1 23.8 5.899 6.345 112.2 15.9 27 329 6.00 17 10.91 +2 11.0 5.830 6.347 117.0 15.9 29 325 11.00 17 8.56 +2 58.8 5.766 6.350 121.7 15.8 30 322 16.00 17 5.90 +3 46.7 5.707 6.353 126.3 15.8 32 319 21.00 17 2.96 +4 34.7 5.654 6.356 130.7 15.8 33 316 26.00 16 59.74 +5 22.3 5.608 6.359 135.0 15.8 34 313 2000 May 1.00 16 56.28 +6 9.2 5.569 6.362 138.8 15.8 35 311 6.00 16 52.59 +6 55.0 5.538 6.366 142.3 15.8 36 309 11.00 16 48.70 +7 39.5 5.514 6.370 145.1 15.7 37 307 16.00 16 44.66 +8 22.2 5.500 6.373 147.2 15.7 37 304 21.00 16 40.50 +9 2.9 5.493 6.378 148.4 15.7 37 302 26.00 16 36.27 +9 41.2 5.495 6.382 148.6 15.8 37 301 31.00 16 31.99 +10 17.0 5.506 6.386 147.8 15.8 36 299 2000 June 5.00 16 27.73 +10 50.1 5.524 6.391 146.0 15.8 35 297 10.00 16 23.51 +11 20.1 5.551 6.396 143.5 15.8 34 295 15.00 16 19.39 +11 47.2 5.586 6.401 140.4 15.8 32 293 20.00 16 15.40 +12 11.2 5.628 6.406 136.8 15.8 31 291 25.00 16 11.58 +12 32.3 5.676 6.411 132.9 15.8 29 290 30.00 16 7.95 +12 50.3 5.731 6.417 128.7 15.9 27 288 2000 July 5.00 16 4.55 +13 5.5 5.792 6.423 124.5 15.9 25 286 10.00 16 1.40 +13 18.0 5.858 6.428 120.1 15.9 23 284 15.00 15 58.52 +13 28.0 5.928 6.434 115.7 16.0 21 282 20.00 15 55.92 +13 35.7 6.002 6.441 111.3 16.0 18 280 25.00 15 53.60 +13 41.3 6.079 6.447 106.8 16.0 16 278 30.00 15 51.58 +13 45.0 6.159 6.454 102.4 16.0 14 276 2000 Aug 4.00 15 49.85 +13 47.1 6.240 6.460 98.0 16.1 12 273 9.00 15 48.41 +13 47.7 6.323 6.467 93.7 16.1 9 270 14.00 15 47.27 +13 47.2 6.406 6.474 89.4 16.1 7 266 19.00 15 46.40 +13 45.8 6.488 6.482 85.1 16.2 5 260 24.00 15 45.81 +13 43.5 6.570 6.489 81.0 16.2 4 249 29.00 15 45.48 +13 40.8 6.651 6.497 76.9 16.2 2 225 Guy M Hurst