[net.astro] comet orbit catalog

koolish@bbnccv.UUCP (Richard Koolish) (02/02/86)

The following is from IAU Circular 4168


                CATALOGUE OF COMETARY ORBITS

    The  fifth  edition  of the 'Catalogue of Cometary Orbits', a
joint  publication  of  the  Central  Bureau   for   Astronomical
Telegrams  and  Minor  Planet  Center,  is  now  available.   The
102-page book, which is in the same  general  form  as  the  1982
edition,  contains 1187 sets of orbital elements calculated up to
the end of 1985 Dec.  Subscribers to these Circulars may purchase
the new edition for $6.00 (half the cost to nonsubscribers),  and
arrangements   can  be  made  to  debit  a  subscription  account
accordingly.  The basic part of the catalogue (including a direct
reference to the comet names) can also be purchased in  the  form
of  seven  ASCII  files on a diskette; the diskette also contains
(compiled) computer programs to extract specific orbits from  the
catalogue and to generate ephemerides, either from such orbits or
from similar user-prepared data.  The diskette is being issued in
IBM-PC  DOS 2.0 double-sided double-density format (and it should
be noted that the computer programs require an 8087  mathematical
coprocessor)  for  $100.00 or in VAX/VMS format (either 8-inch or
5.25 inch, double-density) for $150.00.  A magnetic-tape  version
(without programs) costs $250.00. 


for more information, contact:

Brian Marsden
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Cambridge, MA 02138