Circular No. 5406
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 KOWAL 2 (1991f1)
     H. Kosai and T. Hirayama, National Astronomical Observatory,
Tokyo, report that Masao Ishikawa has discovered a comet, and they
provide the following precise positions:
 
     1991 UT             R.A. (1950) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Dec. 12.70336    8 32 29.59   - 0 30 54.6   14.0   Ishikawa
          12.80011    8 32 29.28   - 0 32 48.8            "
          13.72775    8 32 42.18   - 0 56 07.9            "
          13.76373    8 32 42.29   - 0 57 04.4            "
          13.79457    8 32 42.64   - 0 57 48.1            "
          15.79330    8 32 59.91   - 1 47 08.1            "
          16.72291    8 33 06.03   - 2 09 38.7   14.0   Kushida
          16.74930    8 33 06.05   - 2 10 13.9            "
          16.79861    8 33 06.41   - 2 11 34.1            "
 
M. Ishikawa (Fukaya, Saitama).  0.16-m hyperboloid astrograph.
   Tech-Pan film without filter.  Image diffuse without condensation.
   Measurer S. Hayakawa.
Y. Kushida (Yatsugatake South Base Observatory).  0.20-m f/4 hyper-
   boloid reflector.  Comet images diffuse and difficult to measure,
   especially in right ascension.
 
     B. G. Marsden (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and
T. Kobayashi (Oizumi, Gunma, Japan) have identified the comet with
P/Kowal 2 (1979 II), the prediction for which on MPC 13046 requires
correction by Delta(T) = -54 days.  Marsden provides the following
improved orbital elements, which satisfy 16 observations 1979-1991
with mean residual 1".2:
 
                    Epoch = 1979 Jan.  7.0 ET
     T = 1979 Jan. 13.6774 ET         Peri. = 189.3294
     e = 0.560490                     Node  = 247.2065  1950.0
     q = 1.519722 AU                  Incl. =  15.8032
       a =  3.457766 AU    n = 0.1532889    P =   6.430 years
 
                    Epoch = 1991 Oct. 31.0 ET
     T = 1991 Nov.  4.3598 ET         Peri. = 189.5235
     e = 0.564287                     Node  = 247.0738  1950.0
     q = 1.499650 AU                  Incl. =  15.8359
       a =  3.441834 AU    n = 0.1543544    P =   6.385 years
 
 
1991 December 17                                  Daniel W. E. Green