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IAUC 3957: 1984i; 1982i; MXB 1730-335

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IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 3957
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 617-495-7244/7440/7444


COMET AUSTIN (1984i)
     A. C. Gilmore, Mount John Observatory, telexes that Rodney
R. D. Austin has discovered a comet and that a confirmatory
observation has been obtained by M. Clark on a patrol plate:

    1984 UT           R.A.  (1950.0)  Decl.     m1   Observer

    July  8.729      4 51.5       -38 50         8   Austin
          8.7826     4 53 21.1    -38 44 26      8   Clark
          8.7965     4 54 00.1    -38 43 58            "

R. R. D. Austin (New Plymouth, New Zealand).  Object diffuse with
   condensation, nothing reported about a tail.
M. Clark (Mount John University Observatory).  Damon patrol plate.
   Measurer: P. M. Kilmartin.  Sense of motion assumed.


PERIODIC COMET HALLEY (1982i)
     J. Lecacheux and O. LeFevre, Observatoire de Meudon, report
that their analysis of 51 recent measurements at Palomar, Mauna
Kea and La Silla confirms the large brightness variations indicated
earlier (IAUC 3934, 3943) but does not allow a sinusoidal fit.
The most probable lightcurve has very sharp maxima and amplitude
1.6-1.7 mag in B.  Candidate periods in the range 8-48 hr are
15.64, 16.05, 19.24, 31.28, 34.46 and 37.87 hr.  The mean dispersion
is around 0.3 mag in all cases, and periods around 16 hr seem
the most likely.  R. M. West, European Southern Observatory, adds
that the observed light variations must in part be due to intrinsic
activity and that it may be impossible to make an unambiguous
determination of the comet's rotation period from the available
observations.  He urges that frequent accurate photometry be
resumed immediately after conjunction, although the intrinsic
activity may by then have become the dominant source of variation.


MXB 1730-335
     F. Makino, Institute of Space and Astrononautical Science,
Tokyo, telexes: "The x-ray astronomy satellite Tenma has detected
bursting activity from MXB 1730-335 since July 2.  The burst
profiles on July 2 and 3 were long and flat-topped, similar to those
observed in 1979 (Inoue et al. 1980, Nature 283, 358).  From July
4 familiar type II bursts (Hoffman et al. 1978, Nature 271, 16)
have been emitted.  Infrared and radio observations are urged."


1984 July 9                    (3957)              Brian G. Marsden

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