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IAUC 6382: C/1995 O1; C/1996 B2; 67P

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                                                  Circular No. 6382
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/1995 O1 (HALE-BOPP)
     M. Womack, Pennsylvania State University (PSU); L. M. Woodney,
University of Maryland (UM); M. C. Festou, Observatoire Midi
Pyrenees; J. McMullin, Submillimeter Telescope Observatory; M. F.
A'Hearn, UM; D. Suswal, PSU; and S. A. Stern, Southwest Research
Institute, write:  "We have made the first detection of CH3OH
emission in comet C/1995 O1.  Methanol was observed via its
rotational lines at 145 GHz at high S/N with the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory 12-m telescope at Kitt Peak on Apr. 16, and
at somewhat lower S/N on Mar. 19 and 20.  During this period, the
comet moved from a heliocentric distance of 5.0 (Mar. 20) to 4.7 AU
(Apr. 16).  The integrated line flux area was 0.060 +/- 0.003 K km
sE-1 for the (3,0)-(2,0)A methanol line at 145.103 GHz on Apr. 16
and approximately the same on Mar. 19 and 20.  A rotational
temperature of 12 K is derived from the (3,0)-(2,0)E, (3,-1)-
(2,-1)E, and (3,0)-(2,0)A+ lines, from which we derive an average
production rate of Q(CH3OH) = 1 x 10E27 sE-1.  The rotational lines
were not measurably blue- or red-shifted from the ephemeris
velocity.  The CO J = 2-1 line was observed on Apr. 15 and Mar. 18,
indicating Q(CO) about 8 x 10E27 sE-1.  The ratio of the methanol-
and CO-production rates is near 0.13, which is nearly three times
higher than that observed in C/1996 B2 (cf. IAUC 6345 and 6353)."


COMET C/1996 B2 (HYAKUTAKE)
     Naked-eye m1 and tail-length estimates:  Apr. 12.25 UT, 2.8,
100 deg (S. J. O'Meara, Volcano, HI); 13.20, 2.0, 10 deg (C. E.
Spratt, Victoria, BC); 14.81, 2.6, 70 deg (K. Sarneczky, Raktanya,
Hungary); 15.14, 2.1, 70 deg (R. Keen, Mt. Thorodin, CO); 15.82,
2.1, 25 deg (K. Hornoch, Lelekovice, Czech Republic); 16.82, 1.8,
18 deg (M. V. Zanotta, San Marco Pass, Italy); 17.80, 1.9, 10 deg
(A. Baransky, Kiev, Ukraine); 18.08, 2.2, 10 deg (G. W. Kronk,
Troy, IL).


COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO
     Visual m1 estimates:  Feb. 11.85, 11.1 (J. Carvajal, Madrid,
Spain, 0.21-m reflector); Mar. 8.83, 11.3 (V. Znojil, Brno, Czech
Republic, 25x100 binoculars); 17.05, 12.1 (J. E. Bortle,
Stormville, NY, 0.41-m reflector); Apr. 7.19, 12.5 (C. S. Morris,
Lockwood Valley, CA, 0.26-m reflector); 15.82, 13.3 (K. Hornoch,
Lelekovice, Czech Republic, 0.35-m reflector).

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 April 18                  (6382)            Daniel W. E. Green

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