The New South Wales Branch of the British Astronomical Association is currently making use of the Sydney Observatory astrograph for cometary astrometry. Astrometric plates (16 × 16 cm) of P/Halley are being taken at a plate scale of 116 arcsec/mm with a field of 5 × 5 degrees. Plate measuring is accomplished by means of a mechanical single screw Hilger measuring machine. Plate reduction utilises the program supplied by the International Halley Watch organisation. Measurement and reduction is

more »

... ilitated by the machine readable catalogue and plotting routines supplied by the United States Naval Observatory. Currently the BAA observing team is working towards achieving a 24 hr turnaround for plate reductions. This will enable useful contributions to be made during the critical pre-encounter periods.