Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 6370: C/1996 B2; 29P
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Circular No. 6370
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)
P. D. Feldman, Johns Hopkins University; M. Festou,
Observatoire de Midi-Pyrenees, for the IUE ToO Team for Comet
Observations; and P. M. Rodriguez and R. Gonzalez, European Space
Agency IUE Observatory, report: "Further observations (IAUC 6355)
were made in both the SWP and LWP range on Mar. 27.6 and 27.7 UT
with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) on the nuclear
region of comet C/1996 B2. The observations clearly show the
presence of the strongest CO Cameron bands at 199.3, 206.3, and
215.8 nm, as well as the CO+ first negative bands at 211.4 and
219.1 nm. At this time, the water-production rate was derived as
2.4 x 10E29 sE-1, which is close to the level seen on Mar. 23.12,
and significantly less than observed on Mar. 25.06, suggesting that
the nucleus lost some small pieces. The Cameron bands are produced
primarily by the photodissociation of CO2 and a preliminary
estimate of Q(CO2) is 2.5 x 10E28 sE-1. The CO-production rate is
found to be 7 x 10E27 sE-1, derived from the observed optically-
thin fourth positive bands at 154.5 and 159.7 nm. This is
considerably lower than the CO-production rate derived from sub-
millimeter observations earlier in the month (IAUC 6353), and
suggests that most of the CO in the coma is derived from a
distributed source, as was the case for 1P/Halley."
Visual m1 estimates, made in strong moonlight: Apr. 1.21 UT,
2.1 (C. E. Spratt, Victoria, BC, naked-eye); 1.84, 1.8 (M. L.
Paradowski, Lublin, Poland, 7x35 binoculars); 2.06, 2.0 (G. W.
Kronk, Troy, IL, naked eye).
COMET 29P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 1
I. Ferrin, Universidad de los Andes, Merida, reports that CCD
images of comet 29P were taken in V, R, and I on Mar. 24.35 UT with
the 1-m Schmidt telescope of the National Observatory of Venezuela,
showing a coma diameter of 216" and an intense jet between p.a. 238
and 288 deg (maximum intensity at p.a. 269 deg; solar direction 281
deg). There is also the remains of a second jet at p.a. 338 deg.
Preliminary photometry of the whole coma gives V = 12.9 +/- 0.15.
Further total visual magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 6351):
Mar. 24.05 UT, 11.1 (J. Carvajal, Teruel, Spain, 0.44-m reflector);
27.88, 10.9 (K. Hornoch, Lelekovice, Czech Republic, 0.35-m
reflector).
(C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 April 2 (6370) Daniel W. E. Green
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