THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 377 1990 Jan 07 19.50UT Microlink:MAG60138 JANET:GMH at UK.AC.RO-GREENWICH.STARLINK Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 Telex: 94082518 Answerback: TAGUY ------------------------------------------------------------------ PERIODIC COMET VAN BIESBROECK (1989h1) J. Gibson, OAO Corporation and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reports his recovery of this comet with the Palomar 1.5-m reflector (+ CCD + Gunn r filter); the object appears stellar. The following positions indicate a correction of Delta(T) = -0.01day to the orbit on MPC 13042 (ephemeris on MPC 15580): 1989 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. m2 Dec. 9.51631 12 42 04.51 - 1 11 19.9 21 9.52863 12 42 05.02 - 1 11 23.4 9.54023 12 42 05.52 - 1 11 25.1 9.55117 12 42 05.96 - 1 11 28.0 10.51184 12 42 47.78 - 1 14 42.5 10.51786 12 42 48.02 - 1 14 43.2 10.52421 12 42 48.35 - 1 14 44.5 10.53023 12 42 48.54 - 1 14 45.6 IAUC 4936 SUPERNOVA 1989V IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY C. Pollas, CERGA, reports his discovery with the 0.9-m Schmidt telescope on 1989 Dec. 28.80 UT of a possible supernova of mag about 18.5 at R.A. = 1h29m18s.84, Decl. = +11d56'29".1 (equinox 1950.0), 0".9 west and 2".1 south of the nucleus of a compact anonymous galaxy of mag 18. The object was confirmed on Dec. 31.74 UT. There is a nearby star of mag 16 at end figures 17s.26, 16".5. IAUC 4937 SUPERNOVA 1990A IN NGC 500 C. Pollas, CERGA, has discovered another possible supernova at R.A. = 1h20m04s.12, Decl. = +5d07'41".2 (equinox 1950.0), 10".2 east and 6".6 north of the center of NGC 500. There is a faint nearby star at end figures 14s.67, 41".7. The object was of mag about 19.5 on the Jan. 1.01 UT exposure (IIIa-F emulsion, RG 610 filter). A confirmatory observation by A. Maury on Jan. 2.95 suggested that the object was of mag about 18 (15301 plate, no filter). NGC 500 is of mag about 15. IAUC 4938 Guy M Hurst