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IAUC 3775: 1983c

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                                                  Circular No. 3775
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


PERIODIC COMET BOWELL-SKIFF (1983c)
     The following positions have been reported:

    1983 UT          R.A.   (1950.0)    Decl.   m1     Observer

    Feb. 15.29375    9 23 56.71   +18 31 19.9          Skiff
         16.21252    9 23 32.36   +18 29 52.5   18     McCrosky
         17.21793    9 23 06      +18 28.2      18     Barker
         17.67778    9 22 54.33   +18 27 25.1   17     Seki
         17.74774    9 22 52.19   +18 27 14.8            "
         19.25139    9 22 15.48   +18 24 27.8   16.5   Skiff
         19.26667    9 22 15.33   +18 24 26.7            "
         19.29722    9 22 14.21   +18 24 24.0            "
         19.31250    9 22 14.10   +18 24 18.8            "
         20.48308    9 21 46.38   +18 22 09.8   17     Gilmore
         20.51306    9 21 45.67   +18 22 05.0            "

B. A. Skiff (Lowell Observatory, Anderson Mesa Station).
   Measurer: E. Bowell.  The first position corrects IAUC 3773.
R. E. McCrosky and G. Schwartz (Oak Ridge Observatory).
E. Barker (McDonald Observatory).  2.7-m reflector.  Through
   clouds.  Spectrum shows continuum with weak CN emission.
T. Seki (Geisei).  Comet diffuse with condensation.
A. C. Gilmore and P. M. Kilmartin (Mt. John Observatory).

     The following orbital elements, by the undersigned, are from
13 observations Feb. 11-20.  Similar computations by Bowell and by
T. Urata (Shimizu, Japan) confirm that the comet is a short-period
one, but the period is still somewhat uncertain.

         T = 1983 Mar. 15.115 ET
     Peri. = 168.937                   e =   0.68469
     Node  = 345.730   1950.0          a =   6.13954 AU
     Incl. =   3.758                   n =   0.064789
         q =   1.93583 AU              P =  15.2 years

     1983 ET     R.A. (1950.0) Decl.      p      r       m1

     Feb. 15     9 24.07    +18 31.8    0.974    1.957    16.4
          25     9 20.20    +18 11.5
     Mar.  7     9 18.29    +17 39.5    1.009    1.938    16.4
          17     9 19.16    +16 55.1
          27     9 23.19    +15 58.6    1.118    1.940    16.6
     Apr.  6     9 30.23    +14 51.0
          16     9 39.94    +13 33.3    1.283    1.963    17.0


1983 February 22             (3775)                Brian G. Marsden

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