Circular No. 7057
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, 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)
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Phone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)


COMET C/1998 W2 (HERGENROTHER)
     A comet was found by C. W. Hergenrother on CCD images obtained
by T. B. Spahr on Nov. 22 in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey.
The following observations are available, including their prediscovery data:

     1998 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Nov. 21.09564   21 15 03.67   -14 37 45.0   17.3   Spahr
          21.11709   21 15 06.83   -14 37 05.8            "
          22.11424   21 17 28.64   -14 07 22.7            "
          22.12267   21 17 29.82   -14 07 07.6            "
          22.13156   21 17 30.79   -14 06 50.1   17.5     "
          23.12154   21 19 51.86   -13 37 15.8          Larson
          23.12350   21 19 52.10   -13 37 12.4            "
          23.12544   21 19 52.38   -13 37 09.1            "
          23.12934   21 19 52.95   -13 37 01.7            "
          23.43594   21 20 36.78   -13 27 52.5          Nakamura
          23.44010   21 20 37.35   -13 27 44.8   17.7     "
          23.44427   21 20 37.99   -13 27 37.4            "

T. B. Spahr and C. W. Hergenrother (Catalina 0.41-m f/3 Schmidt).  Faint
   images, moderately strong condensation, broad 30"-60" tail in p.a. 80 deg.
S. M. Larson (Catalina 1.5-m reflector).  Measurers Spahr and Hergenrother.
A. Nakamura (Kuma Kogen).  0.6-m f/5.8 Ritchey-Chretien.  Coma 17", tail
   35" in p.a. 71 deg.  Communicated by S. Nakano.

     A parabolic orbit follows.  The comet is probably of short period.

     T = 1998 Nov. 26.131 TT          Peri. =   6.512
                                      Node  = 352.280   2000.0
     q = 1.56059 AU                   Incl. =  23.364

1998/99     R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r    Elong. Phase      m1
Nov. 23    21 19.58    -13 40.9    1.441    1.561   77.5   38.1     17.2
     28    21 31.52    -11 11.4    1.471    1.561   76.0   37.8     17.3
Dec.  3    21 43.58    - 8 42.2    1.503    1.563   74.6   37.4     17.3
      8    21 55.74    - 6 13.7    1.537    1.569   73.3   37.0     17.4
     13    22 07.97    - 3 46.5    1.574    1.578   72.0   36.4     17.5
     18    22 20.28    - 1 21.0    1.614    1.589   70.8   35.8     17.6
     23    22 32.65    + 1 02.2    1.656    1.604   69.5   35.1     17.6
     28    22 45.08    + 3 22.6    1.701    1.621   68.4   34.3     17.8
Jan.  2    22 57.55    + 5 40.0    1.749    1.640   67.2   33.5     17.9

                      (C) Copyright 1998 CBAT
1998 November 23               (7057)              Brian G. Marsden