Circular No. 6279

Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION

Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)

BMARSDEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or DGREEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science) Phone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)

COMET 1995 Y1 H. Sato, National Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo; and S. Nakano,

Sumoto, Japan, report the visual discovery by Yuji Hyakutake of a comet. The following positions are available:

1995 UT  α_{2000}  δ_{2000}  m_{1} Observer
Dec. 25.861  14^{h}17^{m}42^{s}  − 24^{o}50.^{′}7  10.5 Hyakutake
26.82698 14 21 15.71 −24 41 43′′.4 11  Kojima
26.82871 14 21 16.01 −24 41 43.4  _{”}
26.83044 14 21 16.36 −24 41 41.9  _{”}
26.83125 14 21 16.78 −24 41 40.2 10.5 Kushida
26.83403 14 21 17.36 −24 41 39.9  _{”}
26.83681 14 21 17.99 −24 41 36.6  _{”}
26.83830 14 21 18.21 −24 41 36.6  Kojima

Y. Hyakutake (Hayato, Aira-gun, Kagoshima-ken). 25×150 binoculars.

Comet diffuse; coma diameter 3′.5. Comet observed in twilight. T. Kojima (YGCO Chiyoda Observatory). 0.25-m f/6.0 reflector + CCD.

The comet has strong central condensation, with a coma extending toward the northwest. Communicated by Nakano.

Y. Kushida (Yatsugatake South Base Observatory). 0.40-m f/4.1 reflector + CCD. Communicated by Nakano.

COMET 122P/DE VICO Ephemeris extension to IAUC 6247, from elements on MPC 25932:

1995 /96 α_{2000}  δ_{2000}  Δ  r  ϵ  β  m_{1}
Dec. 29 17^{h}45.^{m}65 +18^{o}00.^{′}5 2.247 1.663 42.^{o}7 23.^{o}6 13.1
Jan. 8 18 00.17 +17 17.9 2.384 1.804 43.6 22.1 13.7
18 18 12.45 +16 58.2 2.498 1.942 45.6 21.2 14.3
28 18 22.72 +16 58.5 2.589 2.077 48.8 20.9 14.8
Feb. 7 18 31.07 +17 15.9 2.657 2.210 53.0 20.9 15.3
17 18 37.52 +17 47.9 2.705 2.340 58.2 21.0 15.7
27 18 41.97 +18 32.3 2.733 2.467 64.2 21.2 16.1
Mar. 8 18 44.28 +19 26.6 2.744 2.593 70.8 21.2 16.4
18 18 44.30 +20 27.9 2.742 2.716 78.0 21.0 16.7
28 18 41.82 +21 32.8 2.732 2.837 85.7 20.5 17.0
Apr. 7 18 36.70 +22 36.9 2.717 2.956 93.7 19.7 17.2

1995 December 26 Daniel W. E. Green