RINGS OF SATURN (R/2006 S 1, R/2006 S 2, R/2006 S 3, R/2006 S 4)
C. C. Porco, CICLOPS, Space Science Institute, Boulder; and the Cassini Imaging Science Team report the sighting of several new rings around Saturn. One new diffuse ring, R/2006 S 1, has been found at an orbital distance of about 151500 km, coincident with the co-orbital satellites, Saturn X (Janus) and XI (Epimetheus) with a radial width of about 5000 km. Another new diffuse ring, R/2006 S 2, has been found coincident with the tiny moon Saturn XXXIII (Pallene; IAUC 8389), at an orbital distance of about 212000 km and radial width of about 2500 km. Two other newly sighted rings have been seen within the Cassini division. R/2006 S 3 is located in the outer gap of the Cassini division at an orbital distance of 119930 km, with a radial width of about 50 km. Finally, a very narrow, discontinuous, and tenuous ringlet, R/2006 S 4, has been seen in between two broad bands in the Cassini division, at an orbital distance of 118960 km; its width is about 6 km. R/2006 S 3 appears to have substantial numbers of small particles as it brightens considerably at high-phase-viewing geometries.
SUPERNOVAE 2006iv, 2006iw, 2006ix, 2006iy, 2006iz, 2006ja
An apparent supernova (2006iv) has been discovered on unfiltered CCD images by Grzegorz Duszanowicz (Akersberga, Sweden, 0.32-m f/3.1 reflector); he measured the position of the new object to be R.A. = 11h48m12s.35, Decl. = +54o59'14".6 (equinox 2000.0), which is 7" east and 18" south of the center of UGC 6774. Approximate magnitudes for 2006iv from Duszanowicz's unfiltered images: Jan. 3.145 UT, [18.5; Sept. 13.989, [18.0; 22.92, 16.7; Oct. 5.875, 15.9 (discovery); 7.87, 15.9. Five additional faint supernovae (2006iw-2006ja; all in the magnitude range g = 20.4-22.6) have been reported by J. Frieman on behalf of the SDSS II collaboration (details on CBETs 663 and 667); 2006iw and 2006ix are type-II supernovae, 2006iy and 2006iz are type-Ia supernovae, and 2006ja is a probable type-Ia supernova.
COMET C/2006 P1 (McNAUGHT)
Improved orbital elements (cf. IAUC 8737) from MPC 57794:
T = 2007 Jan. 12.8217 TT Peri. = 155.9746