------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2468 2008 Aug 01 08.24UT 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 Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE AND COMET C/2008 O1 (SOHO) The Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams advise us that a Kreutz sungrazing comet has been found on SOHO-LASCO coronagraph C3 website images by H. Su as follows: C/2008 O1 July 31.596 8 23.2 +16 01 C3 HS 2008-O67 The object is very small and essentially stellar in appearance with a hint of elongation (mag about 7.5 on July 31.738 UT). Dan Green advises that this relatively bright Kreutz fragment might be observable for those observing the total solar eclipse on Aug. 1.39-1.47 near: RA 8h 38m DEC +16.8 deg (2000). Brian Marsden provides orbital elements and ephemeris on M.P.E.C. 2008-P01: T 2008 Aug. 1.68 TT MPC q 0.0042 (2000.0) P Q Peri. 91.48 +0.14010 -0.98247 Node 11.90 -0.96239 -0.16432 e 1.0 Incl. 143.38 +0.23275 -0.08804 >From 16 observations 2008 July 31. Ephemeris: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 2008 08 01.0 08 29.94 +16 34.5 1.052 0.081 4.0 61.3 6.7 2008 08 01.1 08 31.88 +16 39.2 1.049 0.074 3.7 61.0 6.3 2008 08 01.2 08 33.90 +16 42.7 1.047 0.067 3.3 59.9 5.8 2008 08 01.3 08 35.98 +16 45.1 1.045 0.060 2.9 58.0 5.4 2008 08 01.4 08 38.10 +16 46.2 1.045 0.053 2.5 55.0 4.9 2008 08 01.5 08 40.23 +16 45.9 1.045 0.048 2.1 50.8 4.4 2008 08 01.6 08 44.16 +16 47.8 1.044 0.039 1.4 40.1 3.5 Some text messages have also been sent to those known to be near the central eclipse line. Guy M Hurst