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IAUC 3988: 1984n

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                                                  Circular No. 3988
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


PERIODIC COMET KOWAL-MRKOS (1984n)
     Charles T. Kowal, California Institute of Technology, reports
his discovery of a comet with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar
in April.  He describes the object as almost stellar, with a
faint but definite coma.  The comet is clearly identical with the
object given the designation 1984 JD on MPC 8836.  That object was
discovered by Antonin Mrkos at the Klet Observatory, and on the
second exposure he in fact noted the image as diffuse.

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

   Apr. 23.29931   13 11 22.88   -11 49 00.8   15     Kowal
        23.32014   13 11 22.38   -11 48 55.1            "
        30.25903   13 08 36.41   -11 14 24.1   15       "
        30.27292   13 08 36.09   -11 14 19.0            "
   May   2.88564   13 07 48.02   -11 02 12.1   16.0   Mrkos
         2.89987   13 07 47.56   -11 02 07.9            "

     Orbital elements determined by the undersigned from the above
observations show the comet to be of short period:

          T = 1984 May 16.035 ET
      Peri. = 327.822                    e =   0.45363
      Node  = 248.148   1950.0           a =   3.73374 AU
      Incl. =   3.054                    n =   0.136612
          q =   2.04000 AU               P =   7.21 years

     1984 ET     R.A. (1950.0) Decl.      p        r       m1
     Mar.  1    13 26.41    -13 48.1    1.312    2.130    15.9
          11    13 27.79    -14 03.3
          21    13 26.56    -13 58.9    1.146    2.090    15.5
          31    13 23.07    -13 35.1
     Apr. 10    13 18.14    -12 55.1    1.061    2.061    15.3
          20    13 12.95    -12 05.8
          30    13 08.69    -11 15.5    1.067    2.044    15.2
     May  10    13 06.43    -10 32.9
          20    13 06.80    -10 04.5    1.155    2.040    15.4
          30    13 10.01    - 9 53.5

     Sept. 7    15 29.05    -18 20.2
          17    15 48.59    -19 17.3    2.491    2.265    17.5
          27    16 08.57    -20 07.8
     Oct.  7    16 28.89    -20 50.6    2.753    2.335    17.9


1984 September 12              (3988)              Brian G. Marsden

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