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IAUC 5160: 1991a

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                                                  Circular No. 5160
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


PERIODIC COMET METCALF-BREWINGTON (1991a)
     The following precise positions have been reported:

     1991 UT             R.A. (1950) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Jan.  7.44002    0 07 03.33   - 6 13 14.2   8.5    Ohtsuka
           7.44341    0 07 03.80   - 6 13 11.1            "
           8.47812    0 09 47.96   - 6 01 45.4          McNaught
           9.45139    0 12 23.08   - 5 50 58.1            "
           9.47448    0 12 26.65   - 5 50 43.8            "

T. Ohtsuka (YGCO Chiyoda Observatory).  300-mm telephoto lens.
  Measurer T. Kojima.  Communicated by S. Nakano.
R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring).  Uppsala Southern Schmidt.
  The central condensation brightens to a nearly-stellar point.

     B. G. Marsden, Center for Astrophysics, notes that preliminary
orbital elements from the above observations strongly resemble
those of P/Metcalf (1906 VI).  An unpublished prediction for
P/Metcalf made in 1975 by R. J. Buckley, Malvern, England, represents
the above observations within 1 deg.  Adjustment by Delta(T)
= -1.8 days reduces the residuals to 1'.  The following elements
incorporate also slight changes in Peri., Node, and Incl.:

     T = 1991 Jan.  5.099 ET          Peri. = 207.717
     e = 0.59340                      Node  = 187.037   1950.0
     q = 1.59376 AU                   Incl. =  13.046
       a =  3.91975 AU     n = 0.127004     P =   7.76 years

     1991 ET      R.A. (1950) Decl.     Delta      r       m1
     Jan.  4    23 57.99    - 6 49.8    1.547    1.594     8.5
           9     0 11.19    - 5 56.0
          14     0 24.51    - 4 59.1    1.617    1.596     8.6
          19     0 37.95    - 3 59.5
          24     0 51.46    - 2 57.7    1.691    1.606     8.7
          29     1 05.03    - 1 54.4
     Feb.  3     1 18.64    - 0 50.2    1.770    1.622     8.8

     Total visual magnitude estimates:  Jan. 8.98 UT, 8.4 (J. E.
Bortle, Stormville, NY, 10x50 binoculars; coma diameter 5'.5); 9.48,
8.4 (D. A. J. Seargent, The Entrance, N.S.W., 15x80 binoculars; 4'
coma extended in p.a. about 70 deg).


1991 January 9                 (5160)             Daniel W. E. Green

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