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IAUC 5209: 1991j

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                                                  Circular No. 5209
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 HARTLEY 1 (1991j)
     Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker and David Levy discovered another
comet on a pair of films obtained with the 0.46-m Schmidt at Palomar
on Mar. 12.  The object was diffuse but condensed with a tail > 1'
long in p.a. 285 deg.  Bad weather at Palomar prevented convincing
follow-up there, but observations elsewhere are shown below:

     1991 UT             R.A. (1950) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Mar. 12.48888   14 16 12.59   +12 46 06.8   16.5   Shoemaker
          12.51893   14 16 11.92   +12 45 55.8            "
          16.050     14 14.9       +12 20        17     Dintinjana
          16.70903   14 14 30.59   +12 16 34.7          McNaught

C. S. Shoemaker, E. M. Shoemaker, and D. H. Levy (Palomar).
B. Dintinjana and H. Mikuz (University of Ljubljana).  0.25-m f/12
  telescope.  15" coma.  Three CCD frames show expected motion.
R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring).  Uppsala Southern Schmidt telescope.
  Poor focus.

     B. G. Marsden, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
notes that the object is located some 16 deg from the nominal
prediction for P/Hartley 1 (1985 VII) on MPC 13045.  A correction of
Delta(T) approximately +20 days reduces the residuals to no better
than 12', and there is a differential residual of more than 1'
between Mar. 12 and 16.  However, the comet made a close approach
to Jupiter in 1988 Feb., and a new linkage by Marsden eliminates
this discordance and satisfies 15 observations 1985-1991 with mean
residual 1".1.  The minimum separation from Jupiter was 0.36 AU.

                    Epoch = 1985 June 24.0 ET
     T = 1985 June 11.6526 ET         Peri. = 174.1332
     e = 0.512079                     Node  =  40.3750  1950.0
     q = 1.539774 AU                  Incl. =  24.9278
       a =  3.155786 AU    n = 0.1758097    P =   5.606 years

                    Epoch = 1991 May  24.0 ET
     T = 1991 May  17.6839 ET         Peri. = 178.7489
     e = 0.450686                     Node  =  38.2600  1950.0
     q = 1.818390 AU                  Incl. =  25.7201
       a =  3.310291 AU    n = 0.1636458    P =   6.023 years


1991 March 16                  (5209)             Daniel W. E. Green

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