Circular No. 6377

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                                                  Circular No. 6377




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)


SUPERNOVA 1996V IN NGC 3644
     P. Garnavich, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics report that a spectrogram obtained by P.
Berlind with the 1.5-m Tillinghast Telescope on Apr. 11.2 UT shows
that SN 1996V is a type-Ia supernova, about 2 weeks past maximum.
Narrow emission lines from the host galaxy give a recession
velocity of 7050 km/s.


COMET C/1995 O1 (HALE-BOPP)
     D. Jewitt and M. Senay, University of Hawaii; and H. Matthews,
Joint Astronomy Centre, Hilo, and Herzberg Institute of
Astrophysics, Ottawa, write:  "We observed C/1995 O1 with the 15-m
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Apr. 8 UT.  The 354-GHz J=4-3
transition of hydrogen cyanide was detected with peak antenna
temperature 0.09 K, area 0.11 +/- 0.01 K km/s, and central velocity
-46.4 +/- 0.1 km/s.  At adopted coma temperatures of 10 and 15 K,
the HCN-production rate is 5 and 2 x 10E26 sE-1, respectively.
This is to be compared with the production rate Q(CN) = 1.1 x 10E26
sE-1 estimated from optical data (IAUC 6361) on Mar. 19.  Within
the uncertainties due to modelling the production rates and to the
time difference between the measurements, we conclude that HCN is a
plausible parent of CN, even at the current heliocentric distance
of 4.8 AU.  The spectrum may be viewed at
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~jewitt/submm.html."


SUPERNOVA 1996P IN NGC 5335
     P. Sicoli and V. Giuliani, Sormano, Italy, report the
following precise position for SN 1996P, obtained with the 0.5-m
reflector (+ CCD) on Apr. 7.926 UT: R.A. = 13h52m52s.61, Decl. =
+2o48'30".2 (equinox 2000.0).


COMET C/1996 B2 (HYAKUTAKE)
     Naked-eye m1 estimates: Apr. 4.83, 2.6 (A. Diepvens, Balen,
Belgium); 5.84, 2.4 (J.-C. Merlin, Le Creusot, France); 6.81, 2.0
(G. Bakos, Balaton, Hungary; 70o tail in p.a. 45o); 7.81, 2.4 (M.
Plsek, Lelekovice, Czech Republic); 8.81, 1.9 (R. Haver, Tolfa,
Italy); 10.15, 2.2 (R. Keen, Mt. Thorodin, CO; tail 72o long in
p.a. 43o); 11.25, 2.8 (S. J. O'Meara, Volcano, HI; tail 65o long in
p.a. 42o).

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 April 11                  (6377)            Daniel W. E. Green