------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1988 2004 Apr 12 12.53UT 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 C/2004 F4 (BRADFIELD) Bill Bradfield, South Australia, reported to the Central Bureau that he had noted a magnitude 8 comet on March 23.43UT during a search for sungrazers and using a 0.25-m reflector. There was initially, according to IAUC 8319, some difficulty in establishing positions but Bill observed it again on Apr 8.4UT with confirmation following by Robert McNaught on Apr 9.368UT with the estimated magnitude 5. 2004 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer Mar. 23.43 1 50.0 - 1 26 8 Bradfield Apr. 8.4 2 08.5 - 1 36 " 9.368 2 09.1 - 1 24 5 McNaught Terry Lovejoy obtained nineteen co-added CCD images on Apr 11 using a telephoto lens from which magnitude 4 was derived and on Apr 12 his reduction gave 3.3. The following very preliminary parabolic orbital elements are by Dan Green: T = 2004 Apr. 17.12 TT Peri. = 332.49 Node = 222.66 2000.0 q = 0.1690 AU Incl. = 63.21 Ephemeris (from IAUC 8320): 2004 TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase Mag. Apr. 11 2 08.75 - 1 03.7 1.085 0.294 15.5 66.0 4.2 13 2 06.59 - 0 07.6 1.005 0.238 13.6 82.6 3.3 15 2 00.31 + 1 51.7 0.923 0.191 10.3 109.6 2.4 17 1 48.03 + 5 43.1 0.856 0.169 5.1 148.4 1.9 19 1 32.28 +11 17.5 0.830 0.186 4.0 157.8 2.1 21 1 18.89 +16 57.2 0.845 0.231 10.3 128.6 2.9 23 1 09.74 +21 44.3 0.882 0.287 15.8 107.3 3.7 25 1 04.02 +25 36.7 0.929 0.346 20.1 92.6 4.4 27 1 00.66 +28 46.2 0.980 0.404 23.4 82.0 5.0 29 0 58.90 +31 23.7 1.031 0.462 26.2 74.1 5.6 Guy M Hurst