THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 415 1990 May 25 18.31UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 Telex: 94082518 Answerback: TAGUY Microlink: MAG60138 JANET:GMH @ UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK or GUYH@UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER --------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET LEVY (1990c) The following precise positions have been reported: 1990 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. m1 Observer May 22.47222 23 55 33.53 +27 37 47.0 Helin 23.03779 23 55 52.16 +27 39 32.6 11 Mrkos 23.04306 23 55 52.44 +27 39 33.7 " E. Helin, B. Roman, and K. Lawrence (Palomar). 0.46-m Schmidt films. Measured by Roman. A. Mrkos (Klet). IAUC 5020 Andrew Pearce e-mails m1 estimates (0.20-m refl.): May 22.89, 10.3; May 23.90, 10.3. SUPERNOVA 1990J IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY J. Mueller reports her discovery of a supernova in an anonymous galaxy located at R.A. = 12h13m48s.2, Decl. = +12 48'18" (equinox 1950.0). The supernova (mag about 18) is 7" west and 10" north of the galaxy nucleus, and was found on a blue plate taken May 13 UT with the 1.2-m Oschin Telescope in the course of the Second Palomar Sky Survey. A spectrum obtained by M. Schmidt, D. Schneider, J. Gunn, and R. Lucinio with the 5-m Hale reflector (+ 4-shooter + spectrograph) on May 16 indicates that this is a type-Ia supernova 10 to 20 days old. IAUC 5016 1990 KA E. Helin reports her discovery at of a fast-moving asteroidal object on Palomar 0.46-m Schmidt films taken by herself, B. Roman, and K. Lawrence, as follows: 1990 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. Mag. May 18.27396 15 08 52.65 +10 38 52.8 15.2 18.29809 15 08 52.98 +10 38 29.5 20.35382 15 09 49.43 +10 07 01.1 15.3 20.36528 15 09 49.81 +10 06 55.5 21.28559 15 10 17.95 + 9 51 24.0 15.0 21.41128 15 10 20.35 + 9 49 11.0 The following preliminary orbital elements, by B. G. Marsden, Center for Astrophysics, are necessarily uncertain: T = 1990 June 6.55 ET Peri. = 142.71 e = 0.3769 Node = 107.02 1950.0 q = 1.2296 AU Incl. = 6.86 a = 1.9736 AU n = 0.35549 P = 2.77 years 1990 ET R.A. (1950) Decl. Delta r V May 9 15 05.23 +12 07.8 0.278 1.259 14.7 14 15 07.09 +11 30.5 19 15 09.20 +10 28.5 0.260 1.242 14.6 24 15 11.75 + 9 00.8 29 15 14.94 + 7 07.8 0.251 1.232 14.5 June 3 15 18.97 + 4 51.3 8 15 23.94 + 2 14.9 0.250 1.230 14.5 13 15 29.88 - 0 37.0 18 15 36.82 - 3 39.2 0.259 1.234 14.6 IAUC 5018 Guy M Hurst