Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3940: Sats OF SATURN; PERIODIC COMETS NEUJMIN 3 AND VAN BIESBROECK; Corrs
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Read IAUC 3941
Circular No. 3940
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 617-495-7244/7440/7444
SATELLITES OF SATURN
C. Veillet, CERGA, reports that Saturn XII ('Dione B') and
the 'Tethys Lagrangians' Saturn XIII (Telesto) and XIV (Calypso)
were observed by R. Vieira Martins and himself during Apr. 12-19
with the Danish 1.5-m reflector at the European Southern Observatory.
Preliminary reductions for the orbital separations give:
Saturn XII-Dione = +74.6 +/- 0.6 deg (s.d., 36 measurements); Saturn
XIII-Tethys = +61.3 +/- 0.4 deg (11 measurements); Saturn XIV-Tethys =
-65.0 +/- 0.9 (25 measurements). The eccentricity and libration
period of Saturn XII (cf. IAUC 3695, 3572) are roughly confirmed.
PERIODIC COMETS NEUJMIN 3 AND VAN BIESBROECK
L. Kresak, Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of
Sciences, writes that computations by A. Carusi, E. Perozzi, G. B.
Valsecchi and himself have shown a nearly perfect coincidence of
the orbital elements of these two comets prior to their close
encounters with Jupiter in 1850 Jan:
P/Neujmin 3 P/Van Biesbroeck
T = 1836 Dec. 17 T = 1836 Nov. 10
Peri. = 290.90 Peri. = 289.96
Node = 348.54 1950.0 Node = 349.15 1950.0
Incl. = 4.71 Incl. = 4.11
q = 2.7505 AU q = 2.7585 AU
e = 0.5494 e = 0.5504
It is suggested that the two objects are fragments of a single
comet that split around that time (epoch 1845 Mar. 10), when the
calculated heliocentric longitudes of the objects were 105.23 and
105.19 deg, respectively, and minimum separation 0.04 AU. It is
probable that an acceptable adjustment of the adopted orbital elements
at the present time could appreciably reduce that separation
because the discrepancy is mainly in inclination, the variations of
which have opposite signs for the two objects during encounter.
CORRIGENDA
IAUC 3642. Corrigendum. Line 1, for IAUC 2326 read IAUC 2826.
IAUC 3931. Epsilon Aurigae. Line 2, for photometry read polarimetry.
IAUC 3933. Comet Bradfield (1984a). Line 2, for form read from.
1984 April 25 (3940) Brian G. Marsden
Read IAUC 3941
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