Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams

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IAUC 8213: S/2001 U 2, S/2002 N 4; C/2003 S4

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IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 8213
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)


S/2001 U 2 AND S/2002 N 4
     A new Uranian satellite candidate (R = 24.9-25.1) was observed
on 2001 Aug. 13 (Cerro Tololo, Blanco 4-m reflector) and Sept. 21
(Palomar, Hale 5-m refl.) by teams led by M. Holman and B. Gladman
(for other participants and affiliations, see IAUC 7980), but further
attempts to observe the object proved unsuccessful.  On 2003 Sept.
24, B. G. Marsden identified this object, now designated S/2001 U
2, with a satellite candidate (R = 25.0-25.2) observed by S. S.
Sheppard, University of Hawaii, on images obtained by D. C. Jewitt
and himself on 2003 Aug. 29-30 (Subaru 8.2-m reflector) and Sept. 20
(Gemini 8.2-m reflector), and confirming observations were made by
Holman on Sept. 30 (Las Campanas, Clay 6.5-m reflector).
     A new Neptunian satellite candidate (R = 24.6-25.2) was
observed on 2002 Aug. 14 and 16 (Blanco reflector) and Sept. 3
(Cerro Paranal, 8.2-m UT3 telescope) by teams led by Holman and
Gladman (for other participants and affiliations see IAUC 8047) and
also later on Sept. 3 (La Palma, 2.5-m Nordic Optical Telescope) by
T. Grav.  This object was tentatively recovered by Holman on 2003
Aug. 19 (Blanco reflector, R = 24.3) and confirmed by him on Sept.
28-30 (Clay reflector, R = 24.6).
     Full astrometry, Marsden's orbital elements (S/2001 U 2, a =
0.14 AU, e = 0.43, i = 167 deg, H = 12.5; S/2002 N 4, a = 0.32 AU,
e = 0.60, i = 139 deg, H = 10.4), and ephemerides are on MPEC
2003-S105 and 2003-S107.


COMET C/2003 S4 (LINEAR)
     An apparently asteroidal object discovered by LINEAR
(discovery observation below), and posted on the NEO Confirmation
Page, has been found to have cometary appearance by several CCD
observers, including J. Young and A. Grigsby (Table Mountain, 0.6-m
reflector; 5" round coma and faint 10" outer shell on Sept.
30.1-30.2 UT, possibly slightly extended in p.a. 145 deg on Oct.
1.1-1.3); H. Mikuz (Crni Vrh, Slovenia; 0.60-m f/3 Deltagraph;
diffuse coma of diameter about 10" on Sept. 30.8-30.9; mag
18.1-18.2), and J. E. McGaha (Tucson, AZ, 0.62-m f/5.1 reflector;
2" coma elongated to the southeast on Oct. 1.2).

     2003 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.
     Sept.27.16008   21 26 06.41   +33 07 10.6   19.3

The available astrometry, the preliminary parabolic orbital
elements (T = 2004 June 6.4 TT, Peri. = 158.8 deg, Node = 223.9
deg, i = 40.8 deg, equinox 2000.0, q = 3.742 AU), and an ephemeris
appear on MPEC 2003-T02.

                      (C) Copyright 2003 CBAT
2003 October 1                 (8213)            Daniel W. E. Green

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