Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3165: GX 301-2; 1977t; 1978a; 1977q; P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 1
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Read IAUC 3166
Circular No. 3165
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 Telex: 921428
Telephone: (617) 864-5758
GX 301-2
R. Kelley and H. Bradt, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
report for the SAS-3 Group that the hard, pulsing (period 698s) x-ray
source GX 301-2 (4U 1223-62) entered a bright, active state on
Jan. 22, when the intensity at 6-14 keV reached that of the Crab.
One short-duration (~ 10s) flare of intensity 0.5 Crab was observed
on Jan. 23. The well-established counterpart WRA 977 (IAUC 3146)
should be observed at radio and optical wavelengths.
COMET LOVAS (1977t)
M. Lovas, Konkoly Observatory, informs us that the time of the
discovery observation (IAUC 3156) should read 1977 Dec. 18.00972 UT.
He confirms that the object appeared diffuse at that time, even
though the images on the Agassiz plates of 1978 Jan. 16 seem
completely asteroidal. It certainly seems that the observations on
IAUC 3156 and 3162 refer to the same object, and by far the best
fit to these observations is provided by a minor-planet orbit of
Pallas type (i = 30o, e = 0.35, a = 2.6 AU), this in spite of the
object's extremely high declination. Accurate positions are
urgently needed for resolution of the problem. Tentative predicted
positions (equinox 1950.0) are as follows: Jan. 22, R.A. = 5h00m, Decl. =
+79o19'; 27, 5h03m, +78o14'; Feb. 1, 5h10m, +76o59'; 6, 5h20m,
+75o36'; 11, 5h32m, +74o05'; 16, 5h45m, +72~26'; 21, 5h59m, +70o38'.
COMET WEST (1978a)
R. M. West, European Southern Observatory, provides the following
precise positions, measured by him from exposures by G. and O.
Pizarro with the 100-cm Schmidt telescope at La Silla:
1978 UT R. A. (1950) Decl.
Jan. 12.35416 14 30 34.27 -13 37 02.6
13.34762 14 30 42.76 -13 32 06.4
15.34043 14 30 57.64 -13 21 58.8
16.34393 14 31 04.28 -13 16 45.5
17.34397 14 31 10.20 -13 11 28.4
18.33015 14 31 15.48 -13 06 09.4
19.32604 14 31 20.11 -13 00 43.7
20.32331 14 31 24.06 -12 55 11.9
The following parabolic orbital elements, by the undersigned,
satisfy the above positions within 1". T and Peri. are uncertain.
T = 1977 July 30.094 ET Peri. = 344.221
Node = 210.930 1950.0
q = 5.62079 AU Incl. = 117.000
1978 ET R. A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1
Jan. 12 14 30.52 -13 38.6 5.986 5.748 17.0
22 14 31.48 -12 45.5
Feb. 1 14 31.33 -11 43.6 5.659 5.780 16.9
11 14 29.95 -10 32.0
21 14 27.28 - 9 10.4 5.342 5.815 16.8
Mar. 3 14 23.31 - 7 39.0
13 14 18.11 - 5 58.7 5.088 5.853 16.7
COMET TSUCHINSHAN (1977q)
The following precise positions have been reported:
1977 UT R. A. (1950) Decl. m1 Observer
Dec. 2.49306 0 31 30.52 - 0 37 19.5 15 Furuta
2.50278 0 31 29.72 - 0 37 23.0 "
3.57396 0 30 06.02 - 0 42 02.3 15 "
3.57951 0 30 05.58 - 0 42 01.8 "
4.81045 0 28 32.47 - 0 47 07.5 15.0 Mrkos
4.82486 0 28 31.31 - 0 47 10.4 "
7.78792 0 24 59.42 - 0 58 20.9 15.0 Vavrova
7.80337 0 24 58.27 - 0 58 23.7 "
10.52986 0 21 58.32 - 1 07 23.0 15 Furuta
10.54306 0 21 57.44 - 1 07 23.5 "
T. Furuta (Tokai). From Yamamoto Circ. No. 1873.
A. Mrkos and Z. Vavrova (Klet Observatory).
PERIODIC COMET SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 1
Further precise positions have been reported as follows:
1977 UT R. A. (1950) Decl. m1 Observer
Oct. 16.29258 5 34 34.23 +31 57 50.1 Shao
Nov. 9.62188 5 28 54.04 +32 13 17.6 15.5 Suzuki
12.30313 5 27 50.64 +32 13 53.3 McCrosky
C.-Y. Shao and R. E. McCrosky (Harvard College Observatory, Agassiz
Station). 155-cm reflector. Measurer: J. H. Bulger.
K. Suzuki (JCPM Oi Station). From Nihondaira Obs. Circ. No. 926.
Yamamoto Circ. No. 1873 lists the following total photographic
magnitudes: 1977 Dec. 28.44 UT, 12 (Y. Fujisawa, 16-cm reflector);
1978 Jan. 3.43, 13 (T. Seki, 40-cm reflector); 4.57, 12 (Fujisawa).
1978 January 26 (3165) Brian G. Marsden
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