THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 156 1988 May 17 19.46UT. 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 SHOEMAKER-HOLT (1988g) Marsden telexes that Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker, and Henry Holt have discovered a new comet with the 0.46-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar as follows: 1988 UT RA (1950) DEC (1950) m1 May 13.461 22h17.5m +24 03 11 14.449 22 17.8 +24 41 The object is diffuse with condensation and a short fan-shaped tail. IAUC 4598 He further telexes the following preliminary parabolic elements: T =1988 Feb 13.59ET Peri= 328.18 ) Node= 289.18 ) 1950.0 Incl= 63.55 ) q = 1.2160 Ephemeris by Hurst: 1988 ET RA(1950) DEC(1950) Earth Sun Elong m1 May 14 22h17.46m +24 21.8' 1.891 1.818 70.6 10.9 19 22 19.24 +27 40.5 1.896 1.870 73.4 11.1 24 22 20.32 +30 55.3 1.903 1.923 76.1 11.2 29 22 20.64 +34 05.4 1.913 1.976 78.7 11.3 June 3 22 20.11 +37 09.9 1.925 2.030 81.3 11.4 8 22 18.66 +40 07.8 1.940 2.085 83.8 11.6 13 22 16.19 +42 58.0 1.958 2.139 86.1 11.7 18 22 12.60 +45 39.4 1.979 2.194 88.4 11.8 23 22 07.80 +48 10.8 2.002 2.249 90.5 12.0 28 22 01.75 +50 30.8 2.029 2.304 92.5 12.1 POSSIBLE COMET Mark Kidger, Tenerife, has telephoned news of a possible comet photographed by Ignacio de la Cueva, Spain on three exposures for 1988 May 16 between 01.40-02.15UT. The average position was: RA 17h59m +/-1m DEC -24 25'(1950) m1 9.5. Movement about 4' due south. 200mm telephoto on Fujichrome 400. Confirmation requested please. Guy M Hurst