Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3017: 1976 WA; Poss. Obs OF A gamma-RAY BURST AT RADIO FREQUENCIES; Poss. OPTICAL COUNTERPART FOR LMC X-4; 1976i
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Read IAUC 3018
Circular No. 3017
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Cable Address: SATELLITES, NEWYORK Telex: 921428
Telephone: (617) 864-5758
1976 WA
R. M. West, European Southern Observatory, telexes the following
additional measurements from plates taken by H.-E. Schuster at
La Silla. The beginning of the Nov. 28 trail overlaps a star. The
Nov. 29 observation is a mean from an 8-min exposure perturbed by a
strong earthquake at the end.
1976 UT R. A. (1950) Decl.
Nov. 20.25512 2 03 38.42 -40 13 45.3
20.26343 2 03 38.78 -40 13 27.6
25.17568 2 07 36.52 -37 34 45.4
25.18399 2 07 36.82 -37 34 30.1
26.11616 2 08 21.60 -37 05 24.5
26.12447 2 08 21.96 -37 05 09.7
27.16398 2 09 11.17 -36 33 05.1
27.17091 2 09 11.48 -36 32 51.9
28.18757 2 09 59.70 -36 01 49.7
28.19450 2 10 00.07 -36 01 37.3
29.20146 2 10 47.99 -35 31 13.7
The following improved orbital elements and ephemeris, by the
undersigned, are based on observations Nov. 19-29:
T = 1976 Aug. 31.764 ET
Peri. = 145.063 e = 0.64850
Node = 169.491 1950.0 a = 2.35235 AU
Incl. = 24.176 n = 0.273181
q = 0.82686 AU P = 3.61 years
1976/77 ET R. A. (1950) Decl. Delta r Mag.
Dec. 23 2 31.29 -24 50.l
28 2 36.16 -22 51.2 1.170 1.740 15.3
Jan. 2 2 41.25 -20 57.2
7 2 46.55 -19 08.1 1.332 1.829 15.7
12 2 52.05 -17 23.6
17 2 57.74 -15 43.6 1.501 1.916 16.0
22 3 03.62 -14 08.0
27 3 09.67 -12 36.7 1.677 2.000 16.3
POSSIBLE OBSERVATION OF A gamma-RAY BURST AT RADIO FREQUENCIES
N. Mandolesi, G. Morigi, P. Inzani, G. Sironi, F. S. Delli
Santi, F. Del Pino and M. Petessi, Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche at
Bologna, Milan and Palermo and Bologna Astronomical Observatory,
report: "On Aug. 16 a burst of electromagnetic radiation was detected
at 151, 323, 330 and 408 MHz with the radio telescope at Medicina.
About 60s earlier a gamma-ray burst was detected by five satellites (T.
Cline, H. Helmken and R. W. Klebesadel, private communications) and
by a balloon-borne x-ray experiment on the second transatlantic
flight (M. Sommer, private communication). Independent radio
observations at 237 MHz by A. Abrami at the Trieste Astronomical
Observatory and fair weather conditions exclude local origin and
atmospheric disturbances. The probability of random coincidence between
radio and gamma-ray data is 8 x 10**-5. The radio pulse characteristics
are: onset time 16h16m25s UT, duration 30s, time delay between
pulses at extreme frequencies < 10s (limit set by paper chart recorder
resolution). The location of the source has a suggested error circle
of radius ~ 20o centered on the position of the sun (R.A. = 9h42m,
Decl. = +14o.8), but it is not within ~ 8o of the position of the sun."
POSSIBLE OPTICAL COUNTERPART FOR LMC X-4
M. W. Pakull, Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, communicates: "A
star located at R.A. = 5h32m44s, Decl. = -66o23'.9 (equinox 1950.0), No. D
35 on the map by Westerlund (1960, Ann. Uppsala Astron. Obs. 4, No.
7), is just outside the error circle of LMC X-4 (cf. IAUC 2936).
Blue image-tube spectrograms (dispersion 150 A/mm) obtained at the
European Southern Observatory suggest a composite spectrum of an
early type star and a very late type star; a red image-tube spectrogram
obtained by Olander suggests a late K or even M star. UBV
photometry during November gives V = 13.20, B-V = +1.05, U-B = -0.30.
Comparison with earlier measurements made with the same system in
April-May reveals the object now to be 0.3 magnitude fainter in V,
while no clear variation has been found in B and U."
PERIODIC COMET FAYE (1976i)
Further precise positions have been reported as follows:
1976 UT R. A. (1950) Decl. m1 Observer
July 25.27936 21 00 20.47 - 2 46 59.5 McCrosky
Aug. 2.23350 20 53 57.05 - 3 08 03.9 Shao
26.09714 20 33 32.70 - 5 12 36.7 "
Sept.28.52292 20 22 32.57 - 8 57 35.9 15.5 Suzuki
Oct. 20.80767 20 35 13.35 -10 36 52.5 16.5 South
25.55764 20 39 58.17 -10 48 39.6 Candy
R. E. McCrosky and C. Y. Shao (Harvard College Observatory).
K. Suzuki (JCPM Oi Station). From Nihondaira Obs. Circ. No. 806.
R. H. S. South (Woolston Observatory). Measurer: R. L. Waterfield.
M. P. Candy (Perth Observatory, Bickley). 33-cm astrograph.
1976 December 17 (3017) Brian G. Marsden
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