THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 244 1989 Jan 15 12.47UT. 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------- P/COMET RUSSELL 3 (1989d) J.Gibson reports his recovery of this comet with the Palomar 1.5-m reflector: 1989UT Jan 1.44638 RA 9h31m12.15s DEC -02 28'04.9" m2=20 2.33951 9 30 53.40 -02 30 46.3 Improved elements by Marsden: Epoch=1990 May 29.0 ET T =1990 May 17.8860 ET Peri= 353.2243 e =0.343269 Node= 248.0158 (1950) q =2.517259 AU Incl= 14.0874 a =3.832997 AU n=0.1313398 P = 7.504 years IAUC 4710 COMET YANAKA (1989a) Improved elements based on 27 observations Jan 2-10: T =1988 Oct.29.194ET Peri= 349.701 Node= 155.895 (1950) q =1.86114 AU Incl= 5.911 IAUC 4711 P/COMET HALLEY (1986 III) R.M.West, European Southern Observatory, reports that the activity level of this comet has decreased compared with 1988 May. Latest results, based on Jan 4-9 yield Johnson V=23.6 for the nucleus. IAUC 4712 FSV 113211 A.V.Filippenko, Universitq of California at Berkeley, reports that a spectrum (range 600-910nm) of this object (cf E-237) obtained on Jan 4 with the 3-m Shane telescope shows prominent H-alpha emission. IAUC 4712 TA INDEX We welcome the return of John Hosty to our group. His new mailbox is: MAG36986 NAKED EYE SUNSPOT Paul Sutherland (MAG31707) reports there is a prominent sunspot group currently visible to the naked eye. Does anyone have observations? Guy M Hurst