------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 838 1994 May 09 20.52UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 INTERNET: GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK or GMH at GXVG.AST.CAM.AC.UK ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET TAKAMIZAWA (1994i) S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery by Kesao Takamizawa of a comet on T-Max photographs. Precise positions: 1994 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1 Observer May 6.68611 17 07 23.72 - 4 35 07.7 11.0 Takamizawa 7.73794 17 01 44.33 - 4 49 16.8 " 8.47065 16 57 40.10 - 4 59 26.1 Rabinowitz 8.63984 16 56 43.26 - 5 01 51.3 Kojima 8.65391 16 56 38.48 - 5 02 03.1 " 8.87212 16 55 24.51 - 5 05 08.6 12.5 Ticha 8.87394 16 55 23.90 - 5 05 10.2 " K. Takamizawa (Saku). 0.10-m f/4.0 patrol camera. Comet has strong central condensation; coma diameter about 1'. Measurer Y. Kushida. IAUC 5986 At the request of Brian Marsden, an appeal was circulated on May 8.42UT requesting confirmation . A message was received by the Editor from Chris Spratt in Canada. He advised that he had previously seen a suspected comet of magnitude 10 on 1994 May 8.34UT near M10 and estimated the position as: RA 16h57m DEC -04 54' [2000]. The observation therefore appears to have been of the same object and was made with a new 0.10-m refractor (Tele Vue Genesis). By coincidence we had received an application from Chris to join TA on May 6 so this may be the earliest independent discovery by a new member on record! Elements: T 1994 July 8.6440 TT w 197.77600 ) e 1.00000000 O 51.23700 ) 2000.0 q 1.8861800 A.U. i 135.57200 ) Source: IAUC 5986 Positions are geocentric Ephemeris by G.Hurst using EPH.EXE by N.James: m = 6.5 + 5.0 log R + 10.0 log r Date R.A. (2000) Dec. R r Elong Mag. Motion h m o ' (AU) (AU) o "/hr P.A. 1994 May 8.00 17 0.30 -4 52.8 1.109 2.036 148.0 9.8 209 261 10.00 16 48.86 -5 21.3 1.078 2.027 152.3 9.7 223 261 12.00 16 36.67 -5 51.1 1.051 2.018 156.6 9.7 237 261 14.00 16 23.79 -6 22.2 1.028 2.010 160.8 9.6 249 261 16.00 16 10.28 -6 53.9 1.009 2.001 164.5 9.5 260 261 18.00 15 56.25 -7 26.0 0.994 1.993 167.2 9.5 268 261 20.00 15 41.82 -7 57.9 0.984 1.985 168.0 9.4 273 262 22.00 15 27.14 -8 29.1 0.979 1.978 166.5 9.4 276 262 24.00 15 12.38 -8 59.1 0.979 1.970 163.2 9.4 276 262 26.00 14 57.69 -9 27.5 0.984 1.963 159.0 9.4 272 263 28.00 14 43.24 -9 54.0 0.993 1.957 154.4 9.4 266 263 30.00 14 29.17 -10 18.3 1.007 1.950 149.6 9.4 257 263 1994 June 1.00 14 15.61 -10 40.4 1.025 1.944 144.8 9.4 246 264 3.00 14 2.66 -11 0.4 1.048 1.938 140.1 9.5 234 264 5.00 13 50.40 -11 18.3 1.074 1.933 135.5 9.5 220 264 7.00 13 38.86 -11 34.3 1.103 1.927 131.0 9.6 206 265 Guy M Hurst --- 00049 --- Date: 11 May 1994 13:10:20-BST