PLEASE NOTE:


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Date sent: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 12:19:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: Benny J Peiser <B.J.PEISER@livjm.ac.uk>
To: cambridge-conference@livjm.ac.uk
Priority: NORMAL

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Please note that my university's server has been rather moody over
the last 48 hours, switching on and off erratically. Some of the
messages posted to me during that period of time might therefore
have bounced back or simply failed to reach me.

Benny J Peiser



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Date sent: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 11:10:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Benny J Peiser <B.J.PEISER@livjm.ac.uk>
Subject: Possible Satellite Found Orbiting Asteroid 3671 Dionysus
To: cambridge-conference@livjm.ac.uk
Priority: NORMAL

from: Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>:

POSSIBLE SATELLITE FOUND ORBITING ASTEROID 3671 DIONYSUS
June 10, 1997

According the IAU Circular 6680, astronomers S. Mottola, G. Hahn,
P. Pravec and L. Sarounova using the European Southern Observatory
in Chile may have discovered a satellite orbiting the asteroid 3671
Dionysus. Based on observations made from May 30 to June 8,
attenutations in the asteroid's brightness were noted, and a period
of 1.155 days was derived from these observations. They interpreted
these features as occultations/eclipses of a satellite orbiting the
asteroid. Observers are encouraged to participate in a monitoring
campaign available at:

http://earn.dlr.de/dionysus

Asteroid 3671 Dionysus was discovered by Eugene and Carolyn
Shoemaker on May 27, 1984 at the Palomar Observatory. The asteroid
was named after the Greek God of vegetation, wine and pleasure.
It is an Apollo asteroid and its orbit overlaps the Earth's orbit.
Asteroid 3671 Dionysus will make make a close flyby of Earth on
July 6 of this year at a distance of 0.1144 AU (10.6 million miles
or 17.2 million km) with a expected magnitude of 14.9.

Orbital elements and ephemeris of Asteroid 3671 Dionysus are
available at the Minor Planet Center operated by the Smithsonian
Astrophyiscal Observatory:

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/Ephemerides/Unusual/03671.html

Ron Baalke
baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov



CCCMENU CCC for 1997