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