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IAUC 6521: 22P; C/1996 Q1

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                                                  Circular No. 6521
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 22P/KOPFF
     G. Cremonese, Astronomical Observatory, Padua; and K. Rembor,
Max-Planck-Institut fur Aeronomie, Lindau, report: "Using the 1.5-m Danish
telescope at the European Southern Observatory on Dec. 6 we observed this
comet to be split into at least three components.  Our images reveal a
main nucleus, showing strong jet activity, and a complex of fainter
fragments toward p.a. 70 deg that also show activity; there is also an
elongated coma toward p.a. 200 deg.  In the Bessel R image the separation
between the main nucleus and the fragments was about 40" (14 000 km);
a Bessel B image obtained 7 min later shows a quite different appearance,
the separation about 60" (20 000 km).  The fragments did not appear in
observations on the three following nights with the 2.2-m telescope, and
the comet then showed a strong fan close to the sunward direction.   On
B, V and R images obtained with the 3.6-m telescope on Nov. 13 and 14 the
comet showed strong dust activity (much more so than in December).  By
applying the ring-masking method it becomes evident that this activity was
characterized by a fan toward p.a. 180 deg and a prominent asymmetry in
the inner coma."
     Ephemeris from the orbital elements on MPC 27080:

1996/97     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase      m1
Dec. 13    22 41.50    -12 43.6    2.235    2.211   75.8   25.6     15.2
     23    22 58.66    -10 54.7    2.405    2.270   70.2   24.1     15.7
Jan.  2    23 15.60    - 9 04.1    2.575    2.330   64.6   22.4     16.1
     12    23 32.31    - 7 12.9    2.742    2.389   59.0   20.7     16.5


COMET C/1996 Q1 (TABUR)
     The Nov. 23 observation on IAUC 6513 has not been confirmed by
others, and no satisfactory astrometry has been possible since Oct. 16,
i.e., before the comet rapidly faded and dramatically dispersed as noted
on IAUC 6499.  If this is indeed the secondary component of a comet that
split 2900 years ago to be nongravitationally separated now from the primary
by more than eight years (cf. IAUC 6464), such behavior may not be
particularly surprising.  Ephemeris continuation (orbit on MPC 28052):

1996/97     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase      m1
Dec. 13    16 03.50    +18 07.5    1.545    1.107   45.5   39.4     12.4
     23    16 09.45    +15 18.8    1.638    1.225   48.2   36.7     13.0
Jan.  2    16 13.81    +13 02.4    1.700    1.352   52.6   35.3     13.5
     12    16 16.41    +11 13.1    1.732    1.482   58.7   34.5     13.9

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 December 12               (6521)              Brian G. Marsden

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