Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 4660: 1988m; 1988j
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Read IAUC 4661
Circular No. 4660
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM EASYLINK 62794505
MARSDEN or GREEN@CFA.BITNET MARSDEN or GREEN@CFAPS2.SPAN
COMET 1988m (SMM 4)
O. C. St. Cyr, Solar Maximum Mission, reports that D. Kobe and
C. Waugh have discovered another probable sungrazing comet with the
white-light coronagraph/polarimeter (C/P) aboard the Solar Maximum
Mission (cf. IAUC 4621, 4648). The following positions have been
reduced by D. Pitone and J. Klein, SMM Flight Dynamics Facility, from
measurements by S. A. Beck, High Altitude Observatory:
1988 UT R.A. (1950) Decl.
Aug. 21.70000 9 56 55 +12 01.8
21.73611 9 58 29 +12 05.4
21.75347 9 59 17 +12 06.0
A. Stanger, Hight Altitude Observatory, estimates the comet's magnitude
as -3, which is brighter than any other comet seen by C/P. The
measurements are again estimated as good to +/- 0.1 solar radius and +/-
0.1-deg position angle, and although observations continued, the object
was not detected after perihelion. Two other images of the comet exist,
but the head was involved with an electronic blemish and measurement
therefore impossible. Computations by B. G. Marsden, Center for
Astrophysics, suggest that the orbit of SMM 4 was very similar to that
of the Kreutz sungrazer 1843 I: T = 1988 Aug. 21.82 ET, Peri. = 82.5,
Node = 3.0, Incl. = 144.4 (equinox 1950.0), q = 0.0058 AU.
COMET MACHHOLZ (1988j)
Extended ephemeris from orbital elements on MPC 13591:
1988 ET R.A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1
Oct. 6 14 50.24 + 3 41.0 1.204 0.643 12.5
11 15 29.62 + 2 48.8
16 16 04.01 + 1 54.1 1.339 0.889 14.1
21 16 33.96 + 1 02.5
26 17 00.06 + 0 16.6 1.534 1.112 15.4
31 17 22.96 - 0 22.6
Nov. 5 17 43.20 - 0 55.0 1.762 1.317 16.4
10 18 01.26 - 1 20.9
15 18 17.52 - 1 40.9 2.005 1.509 17.3
Corrigendum. On IAUC 4644, line 3, for Shiler Park read Shailer Park
1988 October 5 (4660) Daniel W. E. Green
Read IAUC 4661
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