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IAUC 2855: Prob. NEW Sat OF JUPITER

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IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 2855
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Cable Address: SATELLITES, NEWYORK
Western Union: RAPID SATELLITE CAMBMASS


PROBABLE NEW SATELLITE OF JUPITER
     Precise positions of the object reported on IAUC 2845:

     1975 UT             R. A. (1950) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Sept.30.31250     1 17 26.47   + 7 02 53.O   21     Kowal
     Oct.  1.31736     1 17 00.54   + 7 00 11.3            "
           2.39444     1 16 32.74   + 6 57 06.3            "
           6.26834     1 14 54.18   + 6 45 15.0          Roemer
           6.33287     1 14 52.52   + 6 45 02.7            "

C. Kowal (Hale Observatories).  122-cm Schmidt telescope, Palomar
   Mountain.  The second declination is uncertain.
E. Roemer and M. A. Daniel (Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak Station).
   229-cm reflector.  Measurer: C. C. McCarthy.

     Computations by K. Aksnes and B. G. Marsden, Center for Astrophysics,
Harvard and Smithsonian Observatories, suggest that the
object is indeed a satellite, although it is not clear whether its
orbit is direct or retrograde.  The departure from great-circle motion
is 0'.4.  Attempts to represent the observations with a heliocentric
orbit were not satisfactory.  The following ephemeris
should suffice to locate the object, although observations during
the forthcoming dark of the moon will be rendered difficult by the
object's proximity to Jupiter (dR.A. and dDecl. are the offsets from
Jupiter).  Astronomers with access to large telescopes are therefore
strongly urged to attempt to photograph the probable satellite well
after new moon (if possible even after first quarter on Nov. 10),
for by the following new moon the ephemeris could otherwise be in
error by a substantial fraction of a degree (and the object will be
significantly fainter).

     1975 ET     R. A. (1950) Decl.     dR.A.   dDecl.
     Oct. 10     1 13.26    + 6 33.3    -2m12   +18'9
          15     1 11.39    + 6 16.3    -1.57   +17.0
          20     1 09.52    + 5 58.6    -0.94   +14.2
          25     1 07.77    + 5 40.8    -0.25   +10.9
          30     1 06.13    + 5 23.2    +0.44   + 6.9
     Nov.  4     1 04.62    + 5 06.4    +1.12   + 2.7
           9     1 03.23    + 4 50.9    +1.72   - 1.6
          14     1 01.99    + 4 37.0    +2.24   - 5.8
          19     1 00.91    + 4 25.0    +2.67   - 9.7


1975 October 23                (2855)              Brian G. Marsden

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