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IAUC 3220: 1978f

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                                                  Circular No. 3220
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


COMET MEIER (1978f)
     The following precise positions have been reported:

     1978 UT             R. A. (1950) Decl.        Observer
     Apr. 30.90318     7 22 43.36   +52 57 34.4    Waterfield
     May   3.11527     7 25 16.94   +52 25 42.2    Penhallow
           8.15208     7 31 25.06   +51 12 38.8    Giclas

R. L. Waterfield (Woolston Observatory).  Improvement of the position
   on IAUC 3218.  A longer exposure in better conditions on
   May 2.9 UT showed a very strong inner coma 30" in diameter and a
   faint, diffuse, outer coma 7' in diameter.  There was a very
   narrow, completely straight, spike-like tail 8' long in p.a. 9o
   and a much fainter, broad, diffuse tail 3' long in p.a. 30o-40o.
W. S. Penhallow (University of Rhode Island, Quonochontaug Station).
   40-cm f/10.8 astrometric reflector.  Measurers: Q. V. Tran and
   B. M. Ashworth.  Long. = +71o42'06", Decl. = +41o21'12", h = 9 m.
H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory).  Measurer: M. L. Kantz.

     The following improved parabolic elements, by the undersigned,
satisfy the six available precise positions within 3":

       T = 1978 Nov. 8.840 ET    Peri. = 231.967
                                 Node  = 349.362   1950.0
       q = 1.10480 AU            Incl. =  43.469

     1978 ET     R. A. (1950) Decl.     Delta     r      m1
     May  12     7 36.38    +50 16.4    3.170   2.824   10.5
          22     7 50.19    +47 48.3
     June  1     8 05.09    +45 15.9    3.147   2.596   10.1
          11     8 20.89    +42 37.6
          21     8 37.40    +39 51.7    3.085   2.366    9.7
     July  1     8 54.48    +36 56.3
          11     9 12.07    +33 49.5    2.983   2.135    9.2

              m1 = 3.5 + 5 log Delta + 10 log r

     Total visual magnitude estimates: May 5.11 UT, 10.2 (P. Maley,
Houston, Texas, 15-cm refractor); 7.06, 10.6 (S. O'Meara, Harvard
College Observatory, 23-cm refractor); 8.10, 10.5 (J. Bortle,
Brooks Observatory, 32-cm reflector); 8.15, 10.3 (O'Meara; comet
very condensed, 5' tail in p.a. 115o, 2' tail in p.a. 55o); 9.10,
10.2 (C. Sherrod, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 15-cm refractor).


1978 May 11                    (3220)              Brian G. Marsden

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