Circular No. 5367
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
 
 
SUPERNOVA 1991bd IN UGC 2936
     R. H. McNaught, Anglo-Australian Observatory, reports his dis-
covery of another supernova on a V plate taken by M. Hartley with
the U.K. Schmidt Telescope on Oct. 12.7 UT.  The supernova (mag
about 17) appears in UGC 2936 (= MCG +00-11-007), and is offset from
the galaxy's center by 21" east and 30" north in a knot within a
spiral arm.  The position of the supernova is R.A. = 4h00m13s.98,
Decl. = +1 50'11".1 (equinox 1950.0, uncertainty 0".6 in each coor-
dinate).  No star appears in this position on J or R survey films,
nor on the Palomar Sky Survey.  A nearby star of mag about 15 has
end figures 10s.77, 49'31".5.  B. Leibundgut, B. Schmidt, and S.
Gordon, Center for Astrophysics, report that a spectrogram (range
400-900 nm) obtained Oct. 15 with the Multiple Mirror Telescope
shows this to be a type-Ia supernova about 2-3 weeks past maximum.
The spectrum shows very strong absorption of the Si II line.
 
 
1991 TT AND 1991 TU
     Two fast-moving asteroidal objects with direct near-opposition
motion were discovered recently with the University of Arizona's
Spacewatch telescope.  1991 TT, observed on Oct. 6, 7, 8 and 9, had
V = 19.3 (on Oct. 7) and was at a minimum distance of 0.031 AU from
the earth on Oct. 7.7 ET; its orbital elements were T = 1991 Nov.
11.3 ET, Peri. = 217.8, Node = 191.8, i = 14.8 (equinox 1950.0), q =
1.002 AU, e = 0.161.  1991 TU was observed six times over the course
of 2 hr on Oct. 7 (V = 17.8) and passed only 0.0049 AU from the
earth on Oct. 8.3 ET; its orbital elements were T = 1991 Nov. 10.7
ET, Peri. = 220.9, Node = 192.8, i = 7.7, (equinox 1950.0), q =
0.945 AU, e = 0.333, H = 28.5.
 
 
PERIODIC COMET WIRTANEN (1991s)
     Total visual magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 5346):  Sept. 15.47
UT, 9.7 (A. Hale, Las Cruces, NM, 0.41-m reflector); 25.14, 10.8 (H.
Mikuz, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, 0.20-m reflector); Oct.
6.50, 10.1 (Hale); 8.43, 10.3 (G. W. Kronk, Troy, IL, 0.33-m reflec-
tor); 10.15, 10.4 (Mikuz); 14.52, 10.3 (C. Spratt, Victoria, BC,
0.20-m reflector).
 
 
1991 October 15                                   Daniel W. E. Green