------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1713 2001 Nov 21 22:00UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET 2001 W2 IAUC 7758 reports the discovery of a moderately bright NEO comet which is well placed in the evening sky for northern hemisphere observers and for which astrometry is urgently required. The IAUC states: S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery of a comet by A. Asami on CCD images taken with the Bisei Spaceguard Center 0.50-m f/2.0 reflector in the course of the "Bisei Asteroid Tracking Telescope for Rapid Survey" program. IAUC 7758 The comet is currently in Hercules. Initial astrometry by Asami gave a position of 18h 11m 23s.21 +25 05' 20".0 [J2000] on Nov. 21.44514. Follow up astrometry shows the comet moving to the SE at 200"/hr. M. Tichy at Klet using a 0.57-m, f/5.2 reflector estimated m1 as bright as 11.0 on Nov. 21.69. He also reported a 24" coma and 40" tail. An hourly ephemeris from the NEO confirmation page for UK longitudes is given below. Date UT R.A. (J2000) Decl. Elong. m1 Motion h "/min P.A. 2001 11 22 16 18 15 05.0 +23 39 17 55.9 12.8 3.37 150.0 2001 11 22 17 18 15 12.3 +23 36 21 55.9 12.8 3.37 149.9 2001 11 22 18 18 15 19.7 +23 33 26 55.8 12.8 3.37 149.9 2001 11 22 19 18 15 27.1 +23 30 31 55.8 12.8 3.37 149.9 2001 11 22 20 18 15 34.5 +23 27 36 55.8 12.8 3.38 149.8 2001 11 22 21 18 15 41.9 +23 24 41 55.7 12.8 3.38 149.7 2001 11 22 22 18 15 49.3 +23 21 46 55.7 12.8 3.38 149.7 Nick James