Circular No. 7733
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
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COMET P/2001 T3 (NEAT)
     K. Lawrence, S. Pravdo, and E. F. Helin, Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, report the discovery by the NEAT program of a comet
with a faint coma on CCD images taken with the Palomar 1.2-m
Schmidt telescope.  The object also appears cometary on CCD images
taken by P. Pravec and P. Kusnirak at Ondrejov (moderately
condensed coma of diameter 0'.2 on Oct. 14.9 UT) and by J. Ticha,
M. Tichy, and P. Jelinek at Klet (diffuse 11" coma on Oct. 14.9;
10" coma and m_1 = 17.0 on Oct. 15.8).

     2001 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1
     Oct. 14.44977    1 45 17.08   - 8 27 56.7   18.4

     The available astrometry (including prediscovery data by
LINEAR on Oct. 11) and the following orbital elements appear on
MPEC 2001-T58.

     T = 2002 Jan. 27.323 TT          Peri. = 354.305
     e = 0.60172                      Node  =  56.739   2000.0
     q = 2.52309 AU                   Incl. =  19.107
       a =  6.33492 AU     n = 0.061815     P =  15.94 years

2001 TT     R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong. Phase    m1
Oct.  8     1 50.03   - 8 39.7   1.727   2.688  159.9    7.3   17.5
     18     1 42.54   - 8 18.3   1.696   2.661  161.9    6.7   17.4
     28     1 34.72   - 7 38.2   1.690   2.636  157.6    8.3   17.3
Nov.  7     1 27.56   - 6 38.0   1.710   2.613  149.6   11.1   17.3
     17     1 21.93   - 5 18.4   1.753   2.593  140.4   14.1   17.4


2001 QT_297
     J. L. Elliot, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reports
on follow-up observations of 'Deep Ecliptic Survey Team' discovery
targets as part of an ongoing program initiated by Elliot and S. D.
Kern at the 6.5-m Baade telescope at Las Campanas:  Observations of
2001 QT_297 (MPEC 2001-T38) obtained by D. J. Osip and S. M. Burles
using the MagIC instrument on Oct. 11 and 12 UT (with seeing <
0".45 on both nights) reveal this to be a binary system.  The
fainter member of the pair lies approximately 0".6 from the
brighter member at p.a. 240 deg.  The brighter member of the pair
is only 0.55 magnitude brighter than the companion.  Additional
photometric and astrometric observations of 2001 QT_297 are
strongly encouraged."

                      (C) Copyright 2001 CBAT
2001 October 15                (7733)            Daniel W. E. Green