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IAUC 3289: 1978n

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                                                  Circular No. 3289
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM     Telephone 617-864-5758


COMET FUJIKAWA (1978n)
     The following precise positions have been reported:

     1978 UT             R. A. (1950) Decl.       m1     Observer
     Oct. 13.50000    10 18 18.27   + 8 53 19.4          Giclas
          14.13335    10 17 33.20   + 9 25 16.1   10     Milet
          14.19014    10 17 29.04   + 9 28 00.3            "

H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory).  Measurer: M. L. Kantz.
B. Milet (Nice Observatory).  Comet diffuse without condensation.

     Total visual magnitude estimates by D. Machholz, Los Gatos, CA
(25-cm reflector): Oct. 12.52 UT, 10.2; 13.53, 10.0.

     The following sets of orbital elements are by the undersigned:

                (A)                  (B)                (C)
     T = 1978 Sept. 30.707    1978 Oct. 2.262    1978 Oct. 2.036 ET
 Peri. = 327.984              336.261            334.044
 Node  =  46.049               38.237             40.955   1950.0
 Incl. =  10.122                7.963              8.682
     q =   0.73148              0.80272            0.77857 AU
     e =   1.0                  0.69971            0.82017

The parabola (set A) satisfies the observations (except that of Oct.
11) within 3", the general ellipse (set B) all five observations
within 6".  Set C also satisfies the observations of set A within
3" and was derived on the assumption that the comet is identical
with P/Denning 1 (1881 V) and that 11 revolutions have been made
since the original discovery; approximate perturbations by the five
outer planets have been taken into account.  The following ephemeris
is from set C:

     1978 ET     R. A. (1950) Decl.     Delta     r      m1
     Oct.  9    10 25.90    + 4 28.3    0.298   0.788    9.8
          14    10 17.67    + 9 19.0
          19    10 13.82    +12 54.3    0.376   0.833   10.6
          24    10 12.89    +15 35.1
          29    10 13.71    +17 38.9    0.453   0.908   11.4
     Nov.  3    10 15.38    +19 18.7
           8    10 17.24    +20 43.6    0.517   1.0004  12.1


1978 October 17                (3289)              Brian G. Marsden

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