------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1597 2001 Jan 04 16.16UT 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 2000 Y3 J. V. Scotti, Lunary and Planetary Laboratory, reports his discovery of a comet with the 0.9-m Spacewatch telescope. The comet shows a coma diameter of 7" and a 0'.93 tail in p.a. 269 deg; he also measures m_2 = 19.7. 2000 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1 Dec. 30.16318 5 56 29.44 +26 22 31.7 30.18693 5 56 28.56 +26 22 31.2 18.9 30.21016 5 56 27.63 +26 22 31.0 18.8 IAUC 7553 (extract) Additional astrometry, including prediscovery observations by LINEAR on Nov. 29 and Dec. 21 identified by B. G. Marsden, appear on MPEC 2000-Y47, together with the following orbital elements showing this to be a short-period comet. The elements indicate an approach to within 0.05 AU of Jupiter in Sept. 1998. Further to IAUC 7552, J. V. Scotti notes that the comet showed a 7" coma and a 1'.16 tail in p.a. 270 deg on a Spacewatch CCD image taken on Dec. 31.174 UT. An image obtained at Klet on Dec. 30.79 shows a coma diameter of 8" and m_1 = 17.5. T = 2000 Nov. 6.5067 TT Peri. = 89.3025 e = 0.200779 Node = 355.0977 2000.0 q = 4.044148 AU Incl. = 2.2469 a = 5.060113 AU n = 0.0865892 P = 11.383 years 2001 R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 Jan. 1 5 55.30 +26 22.0 3.083 4.050 168.0 2.9 17.5 11 5 49.28 +26 17.8 3.130 4.052 156.6 5.5 17.6 21 5 44.44 +26 11.8 3.206 4.054 145.4 7.9 17.6 31 5 41.18 +26 04.9 3.305 4.057 134.5 10.0 17.7 Feb. 10 5 39.73 +25 58.0 3.424 4.061 124.1 11.6 17.8 20 5 40.15 +25 51.6 3.559 4.064 114.1 12.8 17.8 Mar. 2 5 42.41 +25 46.0 3.704 4.068 104.6 13.6 17.9 12 5 46.38 +25 41.1 3.856 4.072 95.5 14.1 18.0 IAUC 7553 LIGHT POLLUTION: THE GUARDIAN The 2001 January 2 edition of 'The Guardian' newspaper contained a half page article devoted to light pollution entitled: 'Blinding light that hides cosmos'. This followed interviews and a visit here from James Meek, Science Correspondent as well as an observing session in which he participated to ensure he had the full practical impact of this serious problem. Bob Mizon, co-ordinator of the 'Campaign for Dark Skies' also contributed to the article. A copy of the text can be obtained by going to the home page of 'The Guardian' at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Then ask for a search on 'blinding light'. Alternatively you can access the archive direct at: www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4111417,00.html although the latter URL may be subject to change. A live interview was also given on Jan 2 on Radio Five Live at 22.57UT. Guy M Hurst