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IAUC 3798: 1983d

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                                                  Circular No. 3798
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 IRAS-ARAKI-ALCOCK (1983d)
     Further to IAUC 3796, J. Davies, Leicester University, informs
us that the object was detected on Apr. 26 by the IRAS Preliminary
Analysis Facility, using software developed by S. Green
(Leicester) and B. Stewart (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory).

     The May 2.5 exposures (for 6 and 4 min, respectively) by J.
Gibson with the 1.2-m Palomar Schmidt showed the trailed images of
the comet to have a strongly condensed nucleus and a weak asymmetric
coma ~ 2' in diameter, denser on the northeastern side: there
was no evidence of a tail.  Further visual magnitude estimates and
coma diameters: May 4.22 UT, 6.0, 15' (C. S. Morris, Harvard, MA,
0.12-m refractor; coma fanshaped in p.a. 55; nonstellar condensation
near focus of parabolic hood); 4.88, 8.1, 14' (J.-C. Merlin,
Le Creusot, France, 0.15-m reflector); 5.11, 6.1, 19' (J. Bortle,
Stormville, NY, 20 x 80 binoculars; 'column structure' in p.a.
90); 6.27, 5.6, 20' (D. Green, Oak Ridge Observatory, naked eye).

     The following precise positions have been reported:

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

      May   4.40243    18 52 24.46    +53 35 21.7    Everhart
            5.10990    18 49 06.47    +54 31 55.9    Schwartz
            5.16619    18 48 47.99    +54 37 09.3      "
            5.24384    18 48 20.85    +54 44 28.8      "
            5.36027    18 47 37.37    +54 55 35.6      "
            5.61319    18 46 01.48    +55 21 05.0    Cruikshank
            5.63542    18 45 51.60    +55 23 25.0      "
            5.88076    18 44 16.23    +55 48 55.9    Geffert
            5.89411    18 44 10.18    +55 50 28.5      "
            5.94410    18 43 47.49    +55 56 18.9      "
            6.07813    18 42 42.37    +56 12 30.5      "
            6.22551    18 41 30.70    +56 30 29.6    Schwartz
            6.29434    18 40 52.56    +56 39 24.7      "
            6.34589    18 40 22.80    +56 46 12.1    Green

E. Everhart (Chamberlin Observatory field station).
G. Schwartz and D. W. E. Green (Oak Ridge Observatory).  0.4-m
   astrograph.  Measurer: Green.
D. P. Cruikshank and R. Brown (Infrared Telescope Facility, Mauna
   Kea).  Offset from nearby SAO star.
M. Geffert (Hoher List Observatory).


1983 May 6                     (3798)              Brian G. Marsden

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