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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1606      2001 Feb 10 17.50UT
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             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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COMET C/2001 B2 (NEAT)
S. H. Pravdo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reports the discovery
by NEAT of an apparent comet:

     2001 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Jan. 24.60450   12 04 56.15   -22 05 45.6   15.5   NEAT
          24.62490   12 04 55.07   -22 05 40.7   15.1     "
          25.31493   12 04 21.93   -22 02 59.2   14.7   Durig
          25.35451   12 04 19.82   -22 02 51.2   14.6   Durig
          25.37222   12 04 18.99   -22 02 45.5   14.2     "

NEAT (Haleakala, HI).  Observers E. F. Helin, S. Pravdo, K.
  Lawrence, P. Kervin, R. Maeda, and M. Skinner.  1.2-m reflector.
D. T. Durig (Sewanee, TN).  0.3-m f/5.75 reflector.  Diffuse tail
  about 25" long toward the south-southeast.
IAUC 7572 (extract)

Orbital elements:

     T = 2001 June  6.094 TT          Peri. = 336.966
                                      Node  = 145.566   2000.0
     q = 5.21621 AU                   Incl. = 150.249

2001 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong. Phase    m1
Feb.  5    11 54.73   -21 11.4   4.656   5.295  126.0    8.7   14.6
     10    11 49.61   -20 40.5   4.580   5.289  131.8    8.0   14.5
     15    11 44.15   -20 05.0   4.512   5.283  137.5    7.3   14.5
     20    11 38.39   -19 25.0   4.452   5.277  143.1    6.5   14.5
     25    11 32.39   -18 40.3   4.402   5.271  148.5    5.6   14.4
Mar.  2    11 26.22   -17 51.2   4.361   5.266  153.5    4.8   14.4
IAUC 7573 (extract)

SUPERNOVA 2001O IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
B. J. Boyle, S. M. Croom, I. J. Lewis, and J. Pogson, Anglo-
Australian Observatory; and K. Glazebrook, Johns Hopkins
University, report the discovery of a supernova in an optical
spectrum taken on Jan. 23.69 UT with the Anglo-Australian Telescope
(+ 2-deg-field fiber-fed multi-object spectrograph) in the course
of the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey.  The host galaxy, whose centre is
located at R.A. = 10h33m36s.36, Decl. = +0 12'01".2 (2000), was
selected for observation as being blue (U-B_j = -0.4, B_j = 20.3)
and compact (as measured from 1984 U.K. Schmidt Telescope IIIa-J
plates taken with GG395 and UG1 filters).  SN 2001O is estimated to
be located within 1" of the galaxy's centre (as the diameter of the
2dF optical fibers is 2").  A magnitude of B_j about 18.7 is
derived for SN 2001O from the spectrum (a 1-hr integration at a low
resolution of 0.7 nm).
IAUC 7574 (extract)

SUPERNOVA 2001K IN IC 677
T. Matheson, S. Jha, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, report that a spectrum of SN
2001K obtained by P. Berlind on Jan. 24.48 UT with the F. L.
Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST spectrograph),
shows it to be a type-II supernova near maximum light.
IAUC 7575 (extract)
Editor: This object was independently discovered by Mark Armstrong
as mentioned on E1602.
Guy M Hurst