Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 4539: 1987b1; Prob. NOVAE IN M31
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Read IAUC 4540
Circular No. 4539
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 McNAUGHT (1987b1)
The following improved orbital elements, from MPC 12787, are
from 38 observations 1987 Oct. 10-1988 Jan. 16:
Epoch 1987 Dec. 31.0 ET
T = 1987 Dec. 11.9455 ET Peri. = 17.4277
e = 0.998706 Node = 260.6439 1950.0
q = 0.841265 AU i = 97.1264
1988 ET R. A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1
Jan. 20 18 46.45 +19 50.6 1.564 1.103 7.9
25 19 02.09 +24 56.3
30 19 19.18 +30 04.3 1.540 1.221 8.3
Feb. 4 19 37.95 +35 09.6
9 19 58.64 +40 06.0 1.560 1.347 8.8
14 20 21.50 +44 47.0
19 20 46.75 +49 06.4 1.627 1.476 9.2
24 21 14.50 +52 58.8
29 21 44.76 +56 19.7 1.741 1.608 9.8
Mar. 5 22 17.29 +59 06.7
10 22 51.58 +61 18.9 1.892 1.741 10.3
15 23 26.86 +62 57.5
20 0 02.17 +64 05.2 2.073 1.873 10.8
25 0 36.55 +64 46.0
30 1 09.21 +65 04.7 2.271 2.004 11.3
Apr. 4 1 39.65 +65 06.1
9 2 07.63 +64 54.5 2.480 2.134 11.8
14 2 33.14 +64 33.7
19 2 56.33 +64 06.9 2.693 2.263 12.2
Total visual magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 4529): Jan. 20.55
UT, 6.3 (D. H. Levy, Tucson, AZ, 0.15-m reflector; 45' tail in p.a.
290 deg); 21.54, 7.2 (A. Hale, Las Cruces, NM, 10x50 binoculars; in
0.41-m reflector, tail > 15' in p.a. 320 deg); 22.55, 6.2 (Levy;
fanned 25' tail in p.a. 290 deg); 23.53, 6.4 (C. S. Morris, near Mt.
Wilson, CA, 20x80 binoculars; 40' tail in p.a. 345 deg).
PROBABLE NOVAE IN M31
J. Bryan, Georgetown, TX, writes that the second "probable"
nova mentioned on IAUC 4515 is not a nova but a field star.
1988 January 28 (4539) Daniel W. E. Green
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