OBSERVATIONS OF DISTANT SOLAR-SYSTEM BODIES

Multicolour VRI photometry and astrometry of one Centaur and seven Edg eworth-Kuiper objects were obtained. One object, 1994 JQ(1) may be as red as 5145 Pholus, the reddest minor planet previously known, The Cen taur 1995 DW2 has more moderate colour indices, similar to main-belt a steroids. Seven R-magnitudes were obtained for 1994 JS, 1995 FB21, and 1995 GY(7). No light variation above the expected noise is evident: a part from a few outliers. A total of 47 astrometric positions were obt ained for the eight objects. The foils nights of observations with the ESO New Technology Telescope covered 0.52 square degrees. Two previou sly unknown object, 1995 FB21 and 1995 GY7, were discovered. We estima te the density of Edgeworth-Kuiper objects brighter than R = 24 to 5.3 per square degree of sky near the ecliptic.