Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 5283: 1678; 1991 JR
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Circular No. 5283
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 D'ARREST = COMET LA HIRE (1678)
Although the possibility of the identity of P/d'Arrest with a
comet observed by La Hire in 1678 was suggested shortly after its 1851
discovery (Valz 1851, Comptes Rend. No. 2, p. 155) and promptly
forgotten, this has recently been independently considered by A.
Carusi, and G. B. Valsecchi, Istituto Astrofisica Spaziale, Rome, and
L. Kresak and M. Kresakova, Slovak Astronomical Institute, Bratislava,
and proven to be correct. Although eight approaches within 0.5 AU of
Jupiter during the 26 revolutions 1678-1851 complicate the linkage,
Carusi et al. have ascertained that the nongravitational effects on
the comet, while relatively large, seem to be extraordinarily stable.
The following orbital elements established by them for the 1678 epoch
satisfy three of La Hire's four observations within 0.2 deg: T = 1678
Aug. 23.395 ET, Peri. = 159.377, Node = 168.939, Incl. = 2.811
(equinox 1950.0), q = 1.16285 AU, e = 0.67008. A preliminary attempt by
G. Sitarski, Center for Space Research, Warsaw, to incorporate the 1678
observations (with a difference of some two hours in the times at which
they are assumed to have been made; see Pingre 1784, Cometographie 2, 24)
directly into a nongravitational solution covering 3.1 centuries gives
(for the epoch 1678 July 3.0) T = 1678 Aug. 23.444 ET, Peri. =
159.564, Node = 168.811, i = 2.827 (equinox 1950.0), q = 1.16277 AU, e
= 0.67001, A1 = +0.41, A2 = +0.0985. Contrary to a statement in the
recent orbit catalogues, Douwes' (1753, Vervolg Beschr. Staartsterren)
parabolic orbit should have T = 1678 Aug. 28.085. Leverrier's (1848,
A.N. 26, 383) solution, computed on the incorrect assumption of
identity of the 1678 comet with P/de Vico-Swift, is inconsistent with
the observations but can be made to fit with a mean-anomaly adjustment
corresponding to T approx. 1678 Aug. 21.5.
1991 JR
B. Mueller, Kitt Peak National Observatory, reports the following
photometry, obtained with Harris VRI filters at the Kitt Peak 2.1-m
telescope and Tek2: May 16.337 UT, V = 17.71 +/- 0.05; 16.340, R =
17.41 +/- 0.02; 16.343, I = 17.10 +/- 0.04; 16.346, V = 17.72 +/-
0.03; 16.349, R = 17.50 +/- 0.04. The integration time was 3 min for
each filter, and the telescope was tracking on a guide star with the
differential rates of the object.
1990 June 6 (5283) Brian G. Marsden
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