------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1816 2002 Oct 18 06.55UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2002 SY50 Tim Spahr comments that the orbital elements for 2002 SY50 bear a striking resemblance to those of 1937 UB (cf. MPC 3014). However, attempts to link definitively the two objects have so far failed. Good coverage (including radar observations) at this opposition and recovery in early 2003 should allow this suggested linkage to be confirmed or denied. It should be noted that both the 1937 and the 2002 observations yield orbits that allow very close approaches to the earth, Venus and Mars, and this chaosticity, coupled with the low-quality astrometry in 1937, make verification of the linkage very difficult at this time. 2002 09 18.31637 02 07 42.17 +01 51 27.3 18.0 R 699 2002 09 18.33741 02 07 41.91 +01 51 23.5 699 2002 09 18.35849 02 07 41.74 +01 51 17.6 699 2002 09 18.37958 02 07 41.51 +01 51 13.2 699 2002 09 30.34113 02 01 47.43 +00 40 55.6 17.1 704 704 Lincoln Laboratory ETS, New Mexico. Observers M. Blythe, F. Shelly, M. Bezpalko, R. Huber, L. Manguso, S. Adams, D. Torres, T. Brothers, S. Partridge. Measurers J. Stuart, R. Sayer, J. B. Evans, H. Viggh. 1.0-m f/2.15 reflector + CCD. Ephemeris: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. V 2002 10 13 01 36.66 -01 57.4 0.250 1.244 168.6 15.6 2002 10 23 00 36.09 -06 45.0 0.144 1.127 154.4 14.6 2002 10 24 00 25.14 -07 30.9 0.135 1.115 151.0 14.6 2002 10 25 00 12.67 -08 21.3 0.126 1.103 147.1 14.5 2002 10 26 23 58.41 -09 16.3 0.118 1.091 142.7 14.4 2002 10 27 23 42.10 -10 15.8 0.110 1.078 137.9 14.4 2002 10 28 23 23.44 -11 19.3 0.104 1.066 132.4 14.4 2002 10 29 23 02.21 -12 25.1 0.097 1.054 126.3 14.4 2002 10 30 22 38.24 -13 31.1 0.092 1.042 119.6 14.4 2002 10 31 22 11.59 -14 33.3 0.088 1.030 112.3 14.5 2002 11 01 21 42.58 -15 27.5 0.085 1.017 104.4 14.7 2002 11 02 21 11.87 -16 08.8 0.084 1.005 96.2 14.9 2002 11 03 20 40.44 -16 33.7 0.084 0.992 87.8 15.2 2002 11 04 20 09.40 -16 40.9 0.085 0.980 79.6 15.5 2002 11 05 19 39.78 -16 31.8 0.088 0.968 71.6 15.9 2002 11 06 19 12.33 -16 09.4 0.092 0.955 64.2 16.4 2002 11 07 18 47.46 -15 38.0 0.097 0.943 57.4 17.0 M.P.E.C. 2002-T14 (extract) EDITORIAL NOTICE Due to lecture commitments, the editor will be away until Sunday. Please contact the editor on the mobile number, if extremely urgent, of: (07905) 332226. Please refer discovery claims to Denis Buczynski (details in TA). Guy M Hurst