Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 4815: 1989q; JUPITER
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Read IAUC 4816
Circular No. 4815
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM EASYLINK 62794505
MARSDEN or GREEN@CFA.BITNET MARSDEN or GREEN@CFAPS2.SPAN
COMET 1989q (SMM 9)
O. C. St. Cyr, High Altitude Observatory, reports his discovery
of another probable sungrazing comet during routine inspection of the
Solar Maximum Mission coronagraph images. The following measurements
of the comet's position were made by A. Stanger and J. Burkepile, High
Altitude Observatory, and the reduction was made by D. Pitone and B.
Twambly of the SMM Flight Dynamics Facility at NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center. As before, the measurements refer to the positions of
the 'head', i.e., the sunward end of the bright cometary tail. The
radial distance measurements are believed to be accurate to +/- 0.1
solar radius and the p.a. to +/- 1 deg.
1989 UT R.A. (1950) Decl.
July 8.64444 7 03 55 +22 08.4
8.65625 7 04 10 +22 11.4
8.69167 7 05 02 +22 19.2
8.70347 7 05 31 +22 23.4
8.70903 7 05 41 +22 25.2
8.72014 7 06 07 +22 27.0
The comet is of intermediate brightness, comparable to SMM 2 and SMM 4
at mag about -2. Although observations continued, there were no
further detections of the object. The following parabolic orbital
elements, determined by the undersigned on the assumption that the
comet has the same perihelion direction as the other Kreutz sungrazers,
satisfy the above positions within better than 1': T = 1989 July 8.772
ET, Peri. = 91.80, Node = 14.20, Incl. = 144.78 (equinox 1950.0), q =
0.00462 AU. The orbit computed for SMM 8 (cf. IAUC 4793), but with
T = 1989 July 8.771 ET, satisfies the SMM 9 observations within 3'.
JUPITER
G. M. Hurst, Basingstoke, England, reports that there has been
a major fading of Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt. Observations on
July 16.16 UT by S. Torrell, J. C. Echaniz, B. Lopez and R. Pratginestos
(Barcelona, Spain) were confirmed during July 18.11-18.14 UT by R.
Moseley and D. Buczynski (Conder Brow, England), who note that the
fading was at longitude 138 +/- 90 deg (System I) and that only a
faint and attenuated belt, probably the SEB(N), was visible.
1989 July 19 (4815) Brian G. Marsden
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