Circular No. 3562 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-864-5758 COMET BRADFIELD (1980t) The following precise position has been measured by E. Bowell from an exposure by B. Skiff with the 0.33-m photographic telescope at the Lowell Observatory's Anderson Mesa Station: 1981 UT R. A. (1950) Decl. Jan. 9.07049 20 22 47.34 - 1 57 47.1 The following parabolic orbital elements, by B. G. Marsden, satisfy the six available accurate positions within 1": T = 1980 Dec. 29.5423 ET Peri. = 358.2992 Node = 114.6596 1950.0 q = 0.259779 AU Incl. = 138.5893 1981 ET R. A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1 Jan. 6 19 55.69 - 6 03.7 0.827 0.356 4.1 11 20 35.66 - 0 11.3 16 20 59.72 + 2 43.3 1.195 0.589 7.1 21 21 15.96 + 4 20.7 26 21 28.01 + 5 22.8 1.546 0.819 9.1 31 21 37.60 + 6 07.5 Feb. 5 21 45.60 + 6 43.2 1.850 1.034 10.5 10 21 52.50 + 7 14.1 15 21 58.58 + 7 42.4 2.108 1.234 11.5 20 22 04.04 + 8 09.5 25 22 08.98 + 8 35.9 2.325 1.424 12.4 Selected visual estimates: Jan. 8.01 UT, m1 = 4.1, tail 3o.7 (C. Sherrod, North Little Rock, AR, 10 x 50 bin.); 8.96, m1 = 4.3, coma 3'.5, tail 5o in p.a. 32o (J. Bortle, Stormville, NY, 10 x 50); 10.95, 5.3, 40' in 20o (D. W. E. Green, Cambridge, MA, 20 x 80). TT ARIETIS D. A. Hanes, Anglo-Australian Observatory; and A. Schwarzenberg-Czerny and J. A. J. Whelan, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, report that this object (cf. IAUC 3541, 3552) was brighter than B = 14 on 1980 Dec. 26. The spectrum was then similar to one obtained on 1980 Aug. 11, when TT Ari was at B ~ 11.5, although the Balmer emission is possibly now stronger than last August. An improved position is R.A. = 2h04m09s.9, Decl. = +15o03'27" (equinox 1950.0). 1981 January 12 (3562) Brian G. Marsden
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