THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 603 1992 Jan 23 18.31UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 Telex: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G JANET BOXES: GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK or GUYH at UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 PRESTEL 256471074 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 1992A IN NGC 1380 We have received faxed copies of this field from Rob McNaught in Australia and charts from the AAVSO. Using these sources together with a download of the Guide Star Catalogue, the following e-chart is now available: \\\\\\SN1992A in NGC 1380 S,120,10,S P,03h 34.5m -35 09' (1950) O,60,45,13.2,? -L,R,SN1992A -S,SN/020.01 -G,60,60,180,50,180 R,11.7,87,104,A R,12.3,96,86,B R,13.0,27,80,C R,13.8,89,60,D R,14.2,58,61,E R,15.3,47,57,F R,15.5,80,86,G M,13,3,34,26,72,81,62 M,14,11,40,18,46,54,83 M,15,30,54,7,60,16,64,15,67,77,40,116,20,77,36 M,15,90,73,47,94,117,114,115,92 M,16,22,10,1,66,107,56,67,81,105,97,56,93 M,16,57,42 E,32 ////// Basic chart GSC2FIND ver 1.1; Seq: AAVSO+GMH N. Suntzeff, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, reports that photometry based on CCD data obtained by J. Parker, D. Hunter, and T. Barnes with the CTIO 1.5-m and 0.9-m telescopes shows that SN 1992A reached maximum light around Jan. 16 UT. The brightness at maximum was V = 12.78. IAUC 5432 COMET MUELLER (1991h1) Herman Mikuz, Yugoslavia, has e-mailed a report that he saw this comet on 1992 Jan 16 at m1=14.4 in 0.35-m Schmidt Cassegrain. Although the initial elements and magnitude formula suggest the comet could reach magnitude 6 during March, the solar elongation will be very small and Rob McNaught (Australia) comments that with an absolute magnitude of around 13 the comet might not survive perihelion (cf E596): Date R.A. (2000) Dec. R r Elong Mag. Motion h m o ' (AU) (AU) o "/hr P.A. 1992 Mar 4.00 1 27.85 -3 52.0 0.848 0.597 36.8 10.4 176 224 9.00 1 9.99 -7 47.9 0.913 0.465 27.8 9.5 183 234 14.00 0 46.70 -10 53.9 0.979 0.329 19.2 8.1 215 250 19.00 0 12.92 -11 32.3 1.043 0.216 11.9 6.4 297 282 24.00 23 36.31 -5 23.7 1.081 0.226 11.6 6.7 351 324 29.00 23 18.55 +4 53.5 1.092 0.345 18.3 8.6 323 346 1992 Apr 3.00 23 12.76 +15 3.1 1.106 0.481 25.8 10.0 295 356 8.00 23 12.32 +24 26.6 1.132 0.612 32.6 11.1 270 2 Guy M Hurst