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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1789      2002 Jly 28 14.31UT
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 2002 O4
Peter Birtwhistle, Great Shefford, England, telephoned the editor
on July 28.0UT to report that he had imaged an object which had
been posted on the NEO Confirmation page and which had been found
earlier by Sebastian Hoenig, of Dossenheim, Germany by visual
observation. Early efforts by Alan Hale in USA to confirm the
object and establish whether it was an asteroid or comet were
unsuccessful due to moonlight.

Peter advised us that the appearance was quite obviously that of a
comet according to his image of July 27.94UT secured with a 0.30-m
f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and AP47p CCD on 3x30 second co-
added exposures. The total magnitude, using an aperture of 22.5
arcsecs, was 13.0 (R-band). A coma of 1.7' diameter and tail of
1.1' in PA 213 degrees were also noted.

The following is from astrometry by Peter and discovery details
from IAUC 7939 which has been received today:

     2002 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     July 22.003     23 25         +32 42        12     Hoenig
          27.64622   23 22 22.65   +40 36 26.1          Kadota
          27.93727   23 21 52.29   +41 08 43.1   13.0 T Birtwhistle
          27.93958   23 21 51.95   +41 08 58.8          Birtwhistle
          27.94178   23 21 51.72   +41 09 13.6          Birtwhistle
          27.95015   23 21 50.90   +41 10 10.3          Birtwhistle
          27.95417   23 21 50.44   +41 10 37.2          Birtwhistle

S. Hoenig (Dossenheim, Germany). 0.25-m f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope. Coma diameter 2'. 
K. Kadota (Ageo, Saitama, Japan). 0.18-m f/5.5 reflector + CCD.
Comet diffuse; coma diameter 1'.5; tail 1'.8 long in p.a. 213 deg.

Peter has relayed an ephemeris for tonight:

Date       UT      R.A. (J2000) Decl.  Elong.  V        Motion
            h                                        "/min   P.A.
2002 07 28 20     23 20 11.2 +42 49 42 107.1  14.0    4.82  349.2
2002 07 28 21     23 20 06.3 +42 54 26 107.1  14.0    4.83  349.2
2002 07 28 22     23 20 01.4 +42 59 11 107.1  14.0    4.83  349.2
2002 07 28 23     23 19 56.4 +43 03 56 107.1  14.0    4.84  349.2

Guy M Hurst