------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 865 1994 July 24 19.39UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PERIODIC COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY 9 (1993e)/COLLISION WITH JUPITER Fragments T, U, V Reports received via the SL9 message center indicate that there were no obvious detections of the impacts of fragments T = 4 (Calar Alto Observatory, South African Astronomical Observatory), U = 3 (Palomar Observatory, Teide Observatory, Swedish Solar Telescope at La Palma, University of Massachusetts Whately Observatory, McDonald Observatory) or V = 2 (McDonald, Palomar, Steward Observatory, Siding Spring Observatory). IAUC 6034 Fragment W The impact of fragment W = 1 was recorded by SPIREX on July 22.343 UT, a preliminary estimate indicating that the site was as bright as that of fragment E at 2.36 microns. CASPIR detected a slight brightening at 2.34 microns on July 22.337 that faded briefly by 22.340, then strongly reappeared, saturating the detector on 22.342 as the W site came into view; narrow-band imaging beginning on 22.345 showed strong emission at 4.78 microns. IRIS K-grism cubes showed the W impact as a distinct, bright, pointlike source slightly south of the K site on July 22.342; the W feature brightened dramatically, saturating the detector on 22.344, when it was at least 200 times brighter than the south polar hood and about 4.5 times brighter than Ganymede at 2.34 microns. A. C. Beresford, Myrtle Bank, South Australia, observed the W impact site visually as it crossed Jupiter's central meridian on July 22.436 UT. IAUC 6034 COMET MCNAUGHT-HARTLEY (1994n) Orbital elements (cf E855): T 1995 Jan 6.0840 TT w 344.13500 ) e 1.00000000 O 28.57100 ) 2000.0 q 1.9402900 A.U. i 17.88700 ) Source: IAUC 6016 Positions are geocentric Ephemeris by Hurst using EPH.EXE by N.James: m = 10.0 + 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 July 22.00 21 31.45 -43 30.0 1.856 2.787 150.6 15.8 20 223 27.00 21 28.64 -43 57.8 1.809 2.747 151.9 15.7 21 232 1994 Aug 1.00 21 25.32 -44 21.5 1.767 2.707 152.4 15.6 22 241 6.00 21 21.59 -44 40.0 1.730 2.668 151.9 15.5 22 249 11.00 21 17.58 -44 52.3 1.700 2.629 150.5 15.4 22 258 16.00 21 13.44 -44 57.6 1.674 2.591 148.3 15.3 22 268 21.00 21 9.35 -44 55.3 1.654 2.554 145.6 15.2 22 278 26.00 21 5.47 -44 45.0 1.639 2.517 142.4 15.1 21 290 31.00 21 1.96 -44 26.6 1.629 2.480 138.9 15.0 21 303 FN ANDROMEDAE Tonny Vanmunster, Standen, Belgium reports on outburst of FN And on 1994 July 12.003UT at mv=13.5. Confirmed by G.Poyner July 12.020, 13.4. Guy M Hurst --- 00031 --- Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 21:00:13 +0100 (BST)