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IAUC 7526: C/2000 W1

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                                                  Circular No. 7526
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html  ISSN 0081-0304
Phone 617-495-7440/7244/7444 (for emergency use only)


COMET C/2000 W1 (UTSUNOMIYA-JONES)
     On Nov. 19, S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reported the visual
discovery on Nov. 18 by Syogo Utsunomiya (Aso, Kumamoto; 25x150
binoculars) of a possible comet with coma diameter 5' moving
rapidly southeastward in Vela.  Attempts by several observers
(including A. Hale, D. Seargent, J. Biggs, T. Urata, and J.
Kobayashi) to confirm the object, at the request of Nakano and the
Central Bureau, were unsuccessful.  On Nov. 25, A. C. Gilmore
(Mount John University Observatory) reported the visual discovery
of an apparent comet by Albert F. Jones (Nelson, New Zealand,
0.078-m f/8 refractor, 30x) while observing the variable star T Aps
at dawn; Jones reported the comet as being diffuse with coma
diameter about 4' in morning twilight.  The possibility that Jones'
object might be the same as that reported by Utsunomiya was
explored by the Central Bureau, and a search ephemeris from
plausible parabolic orbital elements fitted to the Nov. 18 and 25
approximate positions was circulated to numerous southern-
hemisphere observers.  Confirming CCD astrometry was made by
Gilmore with the 1.0-m f/7.7 reflector at Mt. John.

     2000 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Nov. 18.817      9 04.0       -41 22        8.5    Utsunomiya
          18.833      9 04.2       -41 27        8.5       "
          18.847      9 04.4       -41 31        8.5       "
          25.64      13 49.8       -77 05        8      Jones
          26.42295   15 36 22.31   -76 23 51.5          Gilmore
          26.42506   15 36 37.51   -76 23 31.7            "
          26.42772   15 36 57.31   -76 23 05.1            "
          26.42998   15 37 13.94   -76 22 43.8            "
          26.55906   15 52 38.76   -76 00 58.0            "
          26.56010   15 52 46.20   -76 00 47.4            "
          26.56126   15 52 54.24   -76 00 34.8            "
          26.56207   15 52 59.84   -76 00 25.6            "

The following preliminary parabolic orbital elements by B. G.
Marsden are heavily weighted toward the Mt. John accurate
positions:

     T = 2000 Dec. 26.56 TT           Peri. =  51.52
                                      Node  =  10.81    2000.0
     q = 0.3214 AU                    Incl. = 160.16

                      (C) Copyright 2000 CBAT
2000 November 26               (7526)            Daniel W. E. Green

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