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IAUC 5318: 1991am; FG Ser; P/MACHHOLZ; 1991h

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IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 5318
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


SUPERNOVA 1991am IN MCG +06-37-006
     A. V. Filippenko and T. Matheson, University of California at
Berkeley, report that a CCD spectrum (range 390-710 nm, resolution 1
nm) obtained on Aug. 4 UT with the Shane 3-m reflector at Lick
Observatory shows that SN 1991am is probably of type Ia, less than 1
month past maximum brightness.


FG SERPENTIS
     U. Munari, Asiago Astrophysical Observatory, communicates: "
Optical and infrared absolute spectrophotometry (330-1150 nm), secured
on Aug. 2.9 UT at the 1.8-m telescope of Mt. Ekar (with a Boller &
Chivens spectrograph + CCD), confirms that the symbiotic nova FG Ser
(= AS 296) is currently undergoing a total eclipse of the outbursting
white dwarf by the M5 III companion (cf. IAUC 5311).  The TiO
bands of the cool giant now dominate the whole observed spectral
range.  The veiling blue continuum and the Balmer continuum in emission,
which normally dominate shortward of 550 nm, have disappeared.
The integrated fluxes of H I emission lines are now 0.6 of the
noneclipse values, 0.4 of the He I lines' fluxes, and 0.7 of the
forbidden lines' fluxes.  The UBVRI/JHKL photometry performed since the
beginning of the outburst in 1988 (cf. IAUC 4622) shows another
eclipse in the last third of 1989.  The resulting orbital period is
650 +/- 12 days."
     Photometry by A. C. Gilmore, Mt. John University Observatory:
Aug. 2.45 UT, V = 12.05 +/- 0.02, U-B = +0.12 +/- 0.05, B-V = +1.80
+/- 0.02, V-R = +1.60 +/- 0.02.


PERIODIC COMET MACHHOLZ
     Total visual magnitude estimates:  July 31.89 UT, 8.9 (A.
Pereira, Cabo da Roca, Portugal, 0.15-m reflector; coma dia. about
5'); Aug. 1.20, 8.0 (D. Machholz, Emigrant Gap, CA, 0.12-m refractor;
3' x 4' coma, elongated east-west); 2.46, 9.5 (T. Seki, Geisei,
Japan, 0.21-m refractor); 4.17, 9.0 (C. S. Morris, Lockwood Valley,
CA, 0.51-m reflector).


PERIODIC COMET TAKAMIZAWA (1991h)
     Total visual magnitude estimate by Morris:  Aug. 4.22 UT, 14.0.


1991 August 5                  (5318)             Daniel W. E. Green

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