------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1623 2001 Apr 17 15.47UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001 GQ2 M. Blythe, F. Shelly, M. Bezpalko, R. Huber, L. Manguso, S. Adams report their discovery with the 1.0-m f/2.15 reflector of Lincoln Laboratory ETS, New Mexico (station 704) of an apparent new asteroid which is expected to become bright enough for detection by amateur astronomers with modest equipment. Observations: 2001 04 14.32762 15 16 24.10 +19 57 16.4 17.1 704 2001 04 14.34076 15 16 22.48 +19 57 38.1 17.7 704 2001 04 15.25121 15 14 44.58 +20 23 29.5 16.1 R 734 2001 04 15.25535 15 14 43.96 +20 23 37.9 16.2 R 734 Orbital elements: 2001 GQ2 PHA 0.003 Epoch 2001 Apr. 1.0 TT = JDT 2452000.5 Spahr M 298.16471 (2000.0) P Q n 0.73127583 Peri. 280.14683 +0.69259939 +0.68467995 a 1.2201557 Node 37.25138 -0.42176388 +0.63967148 e 0.5073795 Incl. 22.02294 -0.58516777 +0.34933331 P 1.35 H 19.6 G 0.15 >From 39 observations 2001 Apr. 14-16. Ephemeris: 2001 GQ2 a,e,i = 1.22, 0.51, 22 q = 0.6011 Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase V 2001 04 17 15 10.55 +21 23.6 0.118 1.098 141.2 34.9 16.6 2001 04 18 15 07.37 +22 05.7 0.107 1.090 141.3 35.2 16.4 2001 04 19 15 03.35 +22 55.8 0.096 1.081 141.3 35.6 16.1 2001 04 20 14 58.19 +23 57.0 0.085 1.072 141.0 36.1 15.9 2001 04 21 14 51.35 +25 13.5 0.074 1.063 140.5 36.9 15.6 2001 04 22 14 41.95 +26 52.3 0.064 1.055 139.6 38.1 15.3 2001 04 23 14 28.37 +29 04.2 0.053 1.046 138.0 40.0 14.9 2001 04 24 14 07.29 +32 06.7 0.043 1.037 135.1 43.2 14.5 2001 04 25 13 31.22 +36 22.8 0.034 1.028 129.6 48.9 14.1 2001 04 26 12 21.84 +41 45.3 0.026 1.019 119.0 59.7 13.8 2001 04 27 10 09.55 +43 47.4 0.021 1.010 99.4 79.4 14.0 2001 04 28 07 39.17 +33 24.0 0.021 1.001 73.5 105.3 15.1 2001 04 29 06 11.65 +19 04.0 0.026 0.992 54.1 124.6 16.9 M.P.E.C. 2001-H08 COMET C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) Mark Kidger, Tenerife, e-mails: There appears to have been a new outburst of this comet (cf E1619) as recent data shows that the comet has brightened almost to the values reported in late March/early April (both CCD and visual) and observers are reporting a much higher degree of condensation than previously (latest estimates give DC=6 against DC=2-3 in late March). There is also a faint but quite long plasma tail to the east that is at least 18 arcminutes long. The editor has received a report from Bjorn Granslo in Norway that he recorded it at magnitude 10.7 on Apr 12.83UT using a 0.25-m reflector and CCD although it was then only at 4 degrees altitude. Werner Hasubick in Germany made a visual estimate on Apr 13.84UT at m1=7.6 in 25x100B and recorded a diameter of 5.4'. Guy M Hurst