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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1719      2001 Dec 08 23.40UT
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 51P/HARRINGTON
IAUC 7769 reports that this comet has split again and that is
considerably brighter than the 20th magnitude predicted in current
ephemerides. This comet is currently in Orion and so it is well placed
for CCD observers.

The IAUC reports: "P. Manteca, Observatorio de Begues (near Barcelona),
reports that his observations on Dec. 6.1 UT (0.31-m f/6.3
Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector + CCD) showed this comet to have split,
the two components being separated by some 10" on an east-west line.
Each around mag 17.0-17.4, the western component was perhaps up to 0.4
mag brighter than the eastern, which is evidently the one that was
under observation during July-November.  On Dec. 7.0 and 7.9 Manteca
gave m_1 = 16.4 for the eastern component and m_1 = 16.6 for the
western.  The eastern component is also clearly the object defined as
component A at the comet's 1994 apparition, when two much fainter
components, B and C, were also recorded. The current western component
is therefore to be denoted as component D"
IAUC 7769

An image communicated by Giovanni Sostero and obtained by E. Dembitzer,
L. Donato, S. Garzia and A. Lapardo, Remanzacco Observatory, Italy
clearly shows the split nucleus. This image is available on the TA web
site at the following URL:
http://www.theastronomer.org/comets/51p_20011208_sos.jpg.

SUPERNOVA 2001ib IN NGC 7242
This joint discovery by Ron Arbour and Mark Armstrong was announced on
TAEC 1718. Hitoshi Yamaoka reports on VSNET that the expected maximum
for a typical unreddened SN Ia in this galaxy is about magnitude 16.0
and that the galactic extinction in this direction could be as large as
0.4 magnitudes. He notes that the observed discovery magnitude of 15.3
is therefore unusually bright. Since this galaxy is so well placed
follow up observations are strongly encouraged.

Armstrong's discovery image is on the TA website at the following URL:
http://www.theastronomer.org/supernovae/sn2001ib_20011207_mwa.jpg.

Nick James.