THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 52 1987 Aug 15 18.03UT. Telecom Gold 72:MAG60138 Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16, Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone:(0256)471074.Int:+44256471074 Telex:265871(MONREF G) Quote"72:MAG60138 ATT G.HURST"in FIRST line. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Comet Bradfield (1987s) Rob McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory, e-mails the following magnitude estimates of this comet: 1987 Aug 12.35, 9.3 (A.C.Gilmore, Mt John Observatory, 0.10-m refractor, coma dia 5'); 13.51, 9.4 (M.Clark, Perth, 0.32-m refl. coma dia 3', DC6, possible tail pa 114 deg); 14.40, 9.0 (T.Lovejoy, Shailer Park, Australia, 0.20-m refl., coma 4', DC4, faint tail suspected). He also relays preliminary parabolic elements by D.Herald, Canberra, Australia which are based on 7 positions over a 2day arc: T = 1987 Nov.4.76523 Peri= 73.468167 ) Node= 268.647926 ) 1950.0 Incl= 32.868638 ) q = 0.8521755 Ephemeris by Hurst: 1987 ET RA(1950) DEC(1950) Earth Sun Elong m1 Aug. 15 14 14.83 -22 28.13 1.524 1.645 77.4 9.0 17 14 17.57 -21 59.16 1.521 1.619 75.9 9.0 19 14 20.43 -21 30.59 1.518 1.592 74.5 8.9 21 14 23.42 -21 02.37 1.514 1.566 73.1 8.8 23 14 26.52 -20 34.48 1.511 1.540 71.7 8.7 25 14 29.74 -20 06.85 1.506 1.514 70.3 8.6 The above values are uncertain but it appears the comet could reach magnitude approx 5 in 1987 November when it should be observable from the northern hemisphere. TA Index We welcome the following to our group: 72:MAG70250 P.Schmeer, Germany 74:MIK1483 J.Colls, Norwich(TA Secretary). 72:MAG31361 F.Morganti, Stoke on Trent Many thanks to Alan Young who kept things moving whilst I was away in Scandinavia! Guy M Hurst