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IAUC 6341: 1996 E1; C/1996 B2

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                                                  Circular No. 6341
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
BMARSDEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or DGREEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
Phone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)


COMET 1996 E1
     E. F. Helin and K. J. Lawrence, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on
behalf of the Near-Earth-Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) Team (E. Helin,
S. Pravdo, S. Groom, C. Clark, R. Bambery, S. Levin, J. Lorre, S.
Shaklan, and K. Lawrence), report the discovery of a comet on
images obtained with the 1-m f/2.2 GEODSS telescope at Haleakala by
the on-site team (R. Byrd, A. Esquibel, C. Cotton, and D. Bascon).
The comet is diffuse with strong condensation and a tail 10"-15"
long.  Available CCD observations:

     1996 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Mar. 15.25450    9 01 13.54   +18 58 39.3   16.2   Helin
          15.27535    9 01 10.04   +18 59 26.6   16.3     "
          15.29746    9 01 06.28   +19 00 17.2   16.3     "
          16.16319    8 58 42.63   +19 32 55.1   16.0   Rogers
          16.17153    8 58 41.37   +19 33 11.9   16.0     "
          16.18752    8 58 38.69   +19 33 50.0   16.1     "
          16.21910    8 58 33.36   +19 35 01.3   16.1     "

E. F. Helin and K. J. Lawrence (Haleakala-NEAT/GEODSS).
J. E. Rogers, E. F. Helin, R. P. Helin, B. G. Marsden, J. B.
  Marsden, S. N. Marsden, G. Zappa, and D. Zappa (Camarillo).
  0.25-m reflector.


COMET C/1996 B2 (HYAKUTAKE)
     R. M. West, European Southern Observatory (ESO), writes:  "Two
exposures (26 and 60 min; Kodak 4415 film + GG385 filter), obtained
on Mar. 14.3 UT by G. Pizarro with the 1-m ESO Schmidt telescope,
show a further development of the tail system; it is now
morphologically similar to that seen in other major comets at the
present heliocentric distance and magnitude.  There are at least
ten straight streamers in the sector p.a. 263-310 deg, some
reaching to 75'.  The main ion tail at p.a. 285 deg has numerous
kinks (e.g., at 75' and 108' distance) and bifurcations; its length
exceeds 300' (field border).  There is a fainter, diffuse and broad
(supposedly dust) tail underlying the ion tail and also longer than
300'; at this distance, its total width is more than 100'."
     Visual m1 estimates by J. E. Bortle, Stormville, NY:  Mar.
12.33 UT, 4.3 (10x50 binoculars); 13.26, 4.2 (10x50 binoculars);
16.28, 2.6 (naked eye; coma diameter 0.9 degree).

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 March 16                  (6341)            Daniel W. E. Green

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