Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams

Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams -- Image credits

IAUC 5341: 1991x; 1991o; SATURN

The following International Astronomical Union Circular may be linked-to from your own Web pages, but must not otherwise be redistributed (see these notes on the conditions under which circulars are made available on our WWW site).

Read IAUC 5340 SEARCH Read IAUC 5342
IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 5341
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 SPACEWATCH (1991x)
     J. V. Scotti, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, has measured the
following positions of a comet discovered by T. Gehrels with the
0.91-m Spacewatch telescope on Kitt Peak.  On the final image the
condensation is essentially stellar, and there is a tail extending
more than 5' in p.a. 258 deg.

     1991 UT             R.A. (1950) Decl.         m2
     Sept. 8.26146   23 14 25.94   - 8 45 13.0
           8.28191   23 14 24.87   - 8 45 23.9     21
           8.30510   23 14 23.57   - 8 45 35.2
           8.32431   23 14 22.64   - 8 45 45.9
           8.34513   23 14 21.49   - 8 45 56.9
           8.36135   23 14 20.60   - 8 46 05.6     21
           9.27110   23 13 33.30   - 8 54 03.4
           9.27780   23 13 33.01   - 8 54 07.9     20
           9.28718   23 13 32.52   - 8 54 13.1


PERIODIC COMET CHERNYKH (1991o)
     Total visual magnitudes: Aug. 4.31 UT, 14.0 (C. S.
Morris, Lockwood Valley, CA, 0.51-m reflector); 17.00, 11.6 (O.
Midtskogen, Tranby, Norway, 0.32-m reflector); 31.95, 12.0
(Midtskogen); Sept. 1.89, 12.2 (Midtskogen).


SATURN
     M. Kidger e-mails: "Four members of the Planetary and Lunar
Section of the Agrupacion Astronomica de Tenerife report independent
detection of the splitting of Saturn's North Equatorial Belt.  The
observations were made during Aug. 31.92-Sept. 1.04 UT by J. Gonzalez,
M. Kidger, P. Rodriguez and R. Barrera using the 0.51-m Mons Telescope
at Teide Observatory at power 270x in very good conditions.  All four
observers, when comparing notes after finishing observing, stated that
the belt was very much broader and displaced to the north compared to
its appearance over the last two years, and it was very clearly split
into two, narrowly separated components.  The Equatorial Zone is much
less bright than at the start of the present apparition, and activity
on the planetary disk thus seems to have migrated northward away from
the equator.  A previous, unconfirmed report of splitting had been
made by Gonzalez (0.25-m Schmidt-Cassegrain) at the start of August."


1991 September 10              (5341)              Brian G. Marsden

Read IAUC 5340 SEARCH Read IAUC 5342

Our Web policy. Index to the CBAT/MPC/ICQ pages.

Valid HTML 4.01!