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IAUC 6449: C/1996 P2

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                                                  Circular No. 6449
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 C/1996 P2 (RUSSELL-WATSON)
     The following CCD precise positions have been reported:

     1996 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Aug. 12.57184    1 40 50.85   -30 10 29.9          Garradd
          12.57484    1 40 50.92   -30 10 31.4            "
          12.70747    1 40 52.44   -30 11 57.7   13.7   Abe
          12.71858    1 40 52.57   -30 12 04.7            "
          12.72473    1 40 52.63   -30 12 08.5   14.1   Ikari
          12.73673    1 40 52.75   -30 12 15.8   14.2     "
          13.60493    1 41 02.95   -30 21 00.1          Garradd
          13.60627    1 41 02.94   -30 21 00.9            "

G. J. Garradd (Loomberah).  0.25-m f/4.1 reflector.  First image involved
   with flaw.
H. Abe (Yatsuka).  0.26-m f/6.0 reflector.  Coma diameter 20", tail
   about 5' long.  Communicated by S. Nakano.
Y. Ikari (Moriyama).  0.25-m f/6.3 reflector.  Strong condensation with
   tail in p.a. 250 deg.  Communicated by S. Nakano.

     The parabolic orbital elements below are from 11 observations
Aug. 10-13.  It is possible that the comet is of short period, several
contributors remarking on a general similarity of the orbit to that of
comet P/1994 J3.

     T = 1996 Feb. 21.064 TT          Peri. = 187.526
                                      Node  = 103.431   2000.0
     q = 2.07725 AU                   Incl. =  29.725

1996 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase      m1
Aug.  5     1 38.47    -28 53.9    2.234    2.829  115.9   18.8     12.8
     10     1 40.21    -29 44.4    2.232    2.866  119.2   18.0     12.8
     15     1 41.27    -30 35.2    2.234    2.904  122.3   17.1     12.9
     20     1 41.64    -31 25.4    2.239    2.943  125.4   16.3     12.9
     25     1 41.34    -32 14.2    2.247    2.981  128.3   15.4     13.0
     30     1 40.39    -33 00.7    2.260    3.020  131.0   14.6     13.1
Sept. 4     1 38.84    -33 44.0    2.278    3.059  133.4   13.9     13.1
      9     1 36.74    -34 23.2    2.300    3.099  135.5   13.2     13.2
     14     1 34.14    -34 57.6    2.326    3.139  137.1   12.6     13.3

     Total visual magnitude estimate by A. Hale, Cloudcroft, NM (0.41-m
reflector): Aug. 13.43 UT, 12.7 (coma diameter 1'.3).

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 August 13                 (6449)              Brian G. Marsden

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