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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1681      2001 Sep 04 19.29UT
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.theastronomer.org
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COMET C/2001 Q6 (NEAT)
S. H. Pravdo, E. F. Helin, and K. J. Lawrence, Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, report the discovery of a comet on CCD images taken
with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar in the course of
the NEAT program; their discovery image on Aug. 28 (given below)
shows a central nebulosity of diameter about 3" and a tail about
10" long toward the west-southwest.

     2001 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1
     Aug. 28.41375    3 35 29.10   + 9 32 40.2   17.6

Orbital elements:

     T = 2001 Nov.  3.898 TT          Peri. =  38.984
                                      Node  =  23.312   2000.0
     q = 1.46749 AU                   Incl. =  57.518

2001 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong. Phase    m1
Sept. 3     3 39.46   +13 17.5   1.141   1.705  104.7   34.9   16.1
      8     3 42.46   +17 09.7   1.056   1.671  108.1   35.0   15.8
     13     3 44.81   +21 36.7   0.978   1.639  111.4   34.9   15.6
     18     3 46.29   +26 43.4   0.906   1.609  114.7   34.6   15.4
     23     3 46.61   +32 33.4   0.843   1.582  117.6   34.2   15.1
     28     3 45.33   +39 07.0   0.792   1.557  120.1   33.8   14.9
Oct.  3     3 41.72   +46 19.1   0.753   1.535  121.6   33.7   14.7
      8     3 34.48   +53 57.0   0.728   1.516  122.0   34.0   14.6
IAUC 7698 (extract) 

Guy M Hurst