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IAUC 6304: C/1996 B2; 73P

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                                                  Circular No. 6304
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 C/1996 B2 (HYAKUTAKE)
     Total visual magnitude estimates: Feb. 1.49 UT, 10.1: (A. Hale,
Cloudcroft, NM, 0.41-m reflector; coma diameter about 2'.5); 1.73,
8.9 (D. A. J. Seargent, The Entrance, N.S.W., 25 x 100 binoculars;
coma 4'); 1.81, 11.7 (Y. Kushida, Yatsugatake, Japan, 0.40-m reflector;
coma 2'.5-3'.0).

     The orbital elements on IAUC 6303 indicate that the comet will
pass only 0.11 AU from the earth on Mar. 26 on its way to perihelion
rather more than a month later.  The comet can be expected to become
a naked-eye object, both on account of the approach to the earth, and
later as it approaches perihelion.  The predicted magnitude in the following
ephemeris for around those times is, of course, highly uncertain.
There is also a very large positional uncertainty, particularly in
late March, when it amounts to tens of degrees.

1996 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase      m1
Jan. 28    14 29.01    -24 53.4    1.953    2.102   84.6   27.8     10.2
Feb.  2    14 33.06    -24 56.3    1.788    2.022   88.7   29.2      9.8
      7    14 36.94    -24 54.9    1.623    1.941   92.9   30.5      9.4
     12    14 40.63    -24 47.7    1.456    1.858   97.1   31.8      9.0
     17    14 44.07    -24 32.9    1.289    1.773  101.4   33.1      8.5
     22    14 47.21    -24 07.0    1.122    1.687  105.9   34.3      8.0
     27    14 49.98    -23 24.8    0.955    1.599  110.5   35.5      7.4
Mar.  3    14 52.28    -22 16.6    0.789    1.508  115.4   36.4      6.8
      8    14 53.95    -20 23.1    0.623    1.416  120.6   37.1      6.0
     13    14 54.65    -16 58.2    0.460    1.321  126.5   37.2      5.0
     18    14 53.46    - 9 42.4    0.302    1.223  133.5   36.2      3.8
     23    14 46.46    +11 55.0    0.159    1.122  139.0   35.6      2.0
     28    12 28.3     +80 59.2    0.118    1.017   96.0   77.4      0.9
Apr.  2     3 24.64    +57 28.7    0.236    0.909   60.9  106.0      1.9
      7     3 12.26    +46 13.5    0.387    0.796   48.0  110.8      2.4
     12     3 06.26    +40 56.1    0.545    0.677   39.5  109.7      2.5
     17     3 00.45    +37 22.2    0.706    0.554   32.2  105.0      2.2
     22     2 53.20    +34 04.2    0.869    0.426   25.0   95.7      1.5
     27     2 43.52    +29 55.5    1.033    0.303   17.0   76.6      0.4


COMET 73P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 3
    Corrigendum.  On IAUC 6301, lines 10 and 26, for Haufl read Kaufl.

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 February 3                (6304)              Brian G. Marsden

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