[BAA Comets] MPC data

[Nick James]

Owen,

Yes, the lists of comets that the MPC generate for various software 
tools have not been updated since May 13. The last comet in these files 
is C/2019 J2 (Palomar) but it is way off track now.

This is a pain for those of us using software to control telescopes etc.

The JPL comet elements file:

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/dat/ELEMENTS.COMET

is up to date, it has C/2019 N1 (ATLAS), but it doesn't include 
magnitude parameters.

If this goes on much longer I'll need to generate some scripts to make 
the Soft06Cmt.txt file I use in TheSky from the JPL file.

Nick.


On 25/07/2019 10:59, Shanklin, Jonathan D. wrote:
> They are certainly generating MPECs, but not generating compilations.  I've not updated my Megastar format list https://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/cbat141.txt for about a month, but will do so at some point.  The information at https://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/coms19.htm will tell you if any of the new comets are interesting!
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jonathan Shanklin
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Comets-disc <comets-disc-bounces at lists.britastro.org> on behalf of Owen Brazell <o.brazell at btinternet.com>
> Sent: 25 July 2019 10:45
> To: BAA Comets discussion list <comets-disc at lists.britastro.org>
> Subject: [BAA Comets] MPC data
> 
> 
> Nick
> 
>     I understand that a machine failure means that there are no new comet elements being updated by the MPC and no date for this to be resumed. Is this your understand as well and has anything interesting been picked up in the meantime?
> 
> 
> 
> Owen
>