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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1780      2002 Jun 20 16.10UT
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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2002 MN
M. Blythe, F. Shelly, M. Bezpalko, R. Huber, L. Manguso, S. Adams,
J. Piscitelli of Lincoln Laboratory ETS, New Mexico (station 704),
report their discovery of a fast-moving object on June 17 with the
1.0-m f/2.15 reflector and CCD as follows:

2002 06 17.37897 19 39 28.52 -22 55 22.3          16.8        704
2002 06 17.39262 19 39 25.31 -22 55 55.6          17.0        704
2002 06 17.40617 19 39 22.20 -22 56 24.1          16.5        704
2002 06 17.41973 19 39 19.16 -22 56 53.2          16.7        704

Orbital elements:
2002 MN
Epoch 2002 May 6.0 TT = JDT 2452400.5                   MPC
M 358.20808              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.38343752     Peri.  115.02029     -0.78129583     +0.62415772
a   1.8764614      Node   103.60017     -0.57339129     -0.71648263
e   0.5107689      Incl.    0.11721     -0.24657504     -0.31157629
P   2.57           H   23.4           G   0.15           U   7

According to a note by Brian Marsden on M.P.E.C. 2002-M14, the
object passed only 0.0008 AU from the earth on June 14.1 UT (prior
to the discovery). This is about 75,000 miles from Earth and well
inside the distance of our Moon.

SUPERNOVA 2002dk IN NGC 6616
A further possible supernova by the LOTOSS team has been reported
on IAUC 7919. A KAIT image of June 13.4 shows the magnitude 18.0
object at: RA 18h 17m 43.52s DEC +22 14' 53.4" (2000) which is
33.6"E and 35.3"N from the centre of NGC 6616.

SUPERNOVA 2002dl In UGC 11994
Tim Puckett and A. Langoussis, USA, have reported a possible
magnitude 17.7 supernova recorded on June 16.4UT with a 0.35-m
telescope. The location, according to IAUC 7920, is:
RA 22h 20m 53.96s DEC +33 17' 33.7" (2000), placing it 10.0"E and
8.7"S of the centre of UGC 11994.

Guy M Hurst