THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 449 1990 Sept 30 14.22UT 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 GUYH@UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 PRESTEL 256471074 -------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET MUELLER (1990l) J. Mueller reports her discovery of a comet on 1.2-m Oschin Schmidt Telescope plates taken by C. Brewer and J. D. Mendenhall in the course of the second Palomar Sky Survey. There is a faint tail to the west. Mueller provides the following positions: 1990 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. m1 Sept.24.35833 1 36 13.41 - 2 28 01.9 18 24.41389 1 36 12.20 - 2 28 16.7 25.35486 1 35 45.97 - 2 34 02.2 25.39306 1 35 45.21 - 2 34 11.6 IAUC 5102 E. Bowell, Lowell Obsevatory, provides the following measurements of prediscovery films exposed by H. E. Holt, H. R. Holt, C. M. Olmstead, and J. A. Brown with the 0.46-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar: 1990 UT R.A. (1950) Decl. m1 Sept.17.41736 1 38 56.91 - 1 46 30.1 17.5 17.45139 1 38 55.92 - 1 46 45.6 19.44965 1 38 13.76 - 1 58 34.7 17.5 19.48385 1 38 12.94 - 1 58 46.0 Preliminary elliptical orbital elements by Bowell: T = 1990 July 26.020 ET Peri. = 225.255 e = 0.29913 Node = 135.971 1950.0 q = 2.93334 AU Incl. = 9.223 a = 4.18530 AU n = 0.115110 P = 8.56 years 1990 ET R.A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1 Sept.26 1 35.47 - 2 37.8 2.000 2.953 17.2 Oct. 6 1 30.19 - 3 36.5 16 1 24.21 - 4 28.4 1.988 2.967 17.2 26 1 18.28 - 5 08.1 Nov. 5 1 13.17 - 5 31.8 2.083 2.986 17.3 IAUC 5105 SATURN A. Hale, Las Cruces, NM, communicates that, following an initial report from S. Wilbur of the appearance of a new white spot on Saturn on Sept. 25.2 UT, Las Cruces observers have confirmed that the spot crossed the central meridian at the following estimated times: Sept. 28.097 (S. Murrell); 28.104 (Wilbur); 28.107 (C. Tombaugh). IAUC 5105 Mark Kidger, Tenerife, has independently notified us that he has observed the new spot and details are awaited. Guy M Hurst