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IAUC 3990: 1984i

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                                                  Circular No. 3990
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


COMET AUSTIN (1984i)
     Further precise positions, extending to Aug. 1, are given on
MPC 9042.  Only two post-perihelion positions have been reported:

    1984 UT           R.A.  (1950.0)  Decl.     m1   Observer

    Sept. 4.81267    8 54 25.55   +26 38 57.0    7   Seki
         17.36340    8 23 26.44   +32 54 19.3        McCrosky

T. Seki (Geisei).  0.4-m reflector.  5' tail in p.a. 315.
R. E. McCrosky (Oak Ridge Observatory).  0.4-m astrograph.  End of
   difficult trail measured by D. W. E. Green.

     The following elliptical orbital elements, by the undersigned,
satisfy 21 observations from July 8 to Sept. 17 with mean residual
1"1.  Full perturbations were taken into account.

                     Epoch = 1984 Aug. 8.0 ET
         T = 1984 Aug. 12.1373 ET  Peri. = 353.1261
         e =   0.999837            Node  = 170.8758   1950.0
         q =   0.291283 AU         Incl. = 164.1597

     1984 ET     R.A. (1950.0) Decl.      p        r       m1

     Sept.27     7 49.58    +38 27.0    1.009    1.186     8.3
     Oct.  2     7 24.78    +41 36.8
           7     6 52.36    +44 46.7    0.890    1.375     8.6
          12     6 10.34    +47 32.7
          17     5 18.48    +49 15.7    0.820    1.555     9.0
          22     4 20.65    +49 15.7
          27     3 24.55    +47 19.1    0.835    1.727     9.5
     Nov.  1     2 36.93    +43 54.0
           6     2 00.00    +39 48.3    0.950    1.893    10.2
          11     1 32.64    +35 41.8
          16     1 12.72    +31 56.7    1.148    2.053    10.9

     Further total visual magnitude estimates: Sept. 13.38 UT, 7.2
(D. W. E. Green, 20 x 80 binoculars, Cambridge, MA); 14.51, 7.6
(C. S. Morris, 20 x 80 binoculars, Tujunga, CA); 15.51, 7.5 (
Morris; 16.50, 7.5 (Morris); 17.37, 7.5 (Green).  Tail and antitail
lengths and position angles by Morris (0.25-m reflector): Sept.
6.51, 30', 301, 20', 114; 9.50, -, -, 12', 111.5; 15.51, -, -,
20', 109.  A 4-min exposure in moonlight by J. Gibson with the
Palomar 1.2-m Schmidt (103a-D emulsion+Wratten 12 filter) on Sept.
18.5 showed a 12'-15' antitail in p.a. 130 but no main tail.


1984 September 19              (3990)              Brian G. Marsden

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