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IAUC 3516: 1980k

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                                                  Circular No. 3516
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM     Telephone 617-864-5758


COMET CERNIS-PETRAUSKAS (1980k)
     An exposure of this comet on Aug. 29.14 UT by E. Everhart,
University of Denver, shows a very conspicuous, straight, narrow
antitail, 14' in length.  The earth crossed the comet's orbit plane on
Sept. 2.7 UT.  Z. Sekanina, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics, remarks: "At the time of observation the earth was less
than 2o from the comet's orbit plane.  The antitail is measured to
be in p.a. 257o +/- 1o (or 4o.5 from the direction to the sun),
suggesting a broad range of emission times from 120 to 10 days before
perihelion (i.e., at heliocentric distances from 2.3 to 0.6 AU).  The
observed length of the antitail indicates the maximum radiation-pressure
effect on the dust particles to be between 0.25 and 0.55
percent of the solar attraction and the corresponding minimum
particle size to be on the order of several tenths of 1 mm."

     Further precise positions have been reported as follows:

     1980 UT             R. A. (1950) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Sept. 1.46562    14 19 08.51   +26 44 44.0   14.5   Seki
           6.84549    14 37 54.52   +25 20 31.7          Grossmann
           7.82535    14 41 11.84   +25 05 10.9            "

T. Seki (Geisei).  From Japan  Astron. Circ. No. 249.
M. Grossmann and S. Wagner.  Hoher List Observatory).

     Improved parabolic orbital elements by the undersigned:

       T = 1980 June 22.4420 ET  Peri. = 337.8131
                                 Node  = 159.9275   1950.0
       q = 0.523208 AU           Incl. =  49.0733

     1980 ET     R. A. (1950) Decl.     Delta     r      m1
     Sept.28    15 39.71    +20 12.3
     Oct.  8    16 04.06    +18 09.5    2.537   2.089   15.2
          18    16 26.26    +16 24.3
          28    16 46.73    +14 56.8    2.919   2.374   16.1
     Nov.  7    17 05.79    +13 46.5
          17    17 23.67    +12 52.8    3.288   2.648   16.8
          27    17 40.48    +12 14.8
     Dec.  7    17 56.35    +11 51.5    3.627   2.910   17.4
          17    18 11.31    +11 42.1
          27    18 25.39    +11 45.5    3.918   3.164   18.0


1980 September 22              (3516)              Brian G. Marsden

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