Electronic Telegram No. 3936
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director:  Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University;
 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA  02138; U.S.A.
e-mail:  cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


COMET C/2014 Q3 (BORISOV)
     G. Borisov (Observatory MARGO, Nauchnij) reports his discovery of a comet
on CCD images obtained with a 0.3-m f/1.5 astrograph telescope (discovery
observations tabulated below); he described the object as cometary with a
10" diameter coma.

     2014 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Aug. 22.01418    5 55 50.16   +20 41 31.4   17.0   Borisov
          22.02970    5 55 51.13   +20 41 52.0   16.9     "
          22.04533    5 55 52.19   +20 42 13.5   16.9     "

After the object was posted on the Minor Planet Center's PCCP webpage, other
CCD astrometrists have commented on the object's cometary appearance.  K.
Sarneczky (Konkoly Observatory, Hungary, 0.60-m Schmidt telescope, Aug. 23.1)
reports a condensed coma about 12" in diameter and fan-shaped tail about 25"
long toward p.a. 225 degrees on four stacked 90-sec. exposures.  P. Birtwhistle
(Great Shefford, Berkshire, England, 0.40-m f/6 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector,
Aug 23.1) found the object to be diffuse, with a condensed 12" diameter coma,
extended in p.a. 220-270 degrees at least 12" from the center.  H. Sato (Tokyo,
Japan), notes that images taken remotely with a 0.32-m f/8.0 astrograph at the
RAS Observatory near Nerpio, Spain, on Aug. 23.2 show a strongly condensed
coma of 15" in diameter, and a faint tail 20" toward p.a. 285 degrees on
3-stacked images of 60-sec. exposure.  E. Bryssinck (Kruibeke, Belgium) reports
that images taken remotely with a 0.43-m f/6.8 reflector located near Nerpio,
Spain on Aug 23.2 show a diffuse object with central condensation and a coma
of 19"x27" towards p.a. 233 degrees.  E. Guido, N. Howes, and M. Nicolini
(Castellammare di Stabia, Italy) report that images taken remotely with a
0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer at Mayhill, NM, USA on Aug.
23.4 show a coma about 7" in diameter elongated toward p.a. 215 degrees.  C.
Jacques, E. Pimentel, J. Barros (SONEAR observatory, Oliveira, MG, Brazil,
0.28-m f/2.2 astrograph, Aug. 23.3) report that a 60 sec. exposure with a CCD
shows a condensed coma 15" in diameter.  F.-J. Hambsch (Mol, Belgium) and E.
Bryssinck (Kruibeke, Belgium), report that 13 average added 60-sec.
clear-filtered exposures taken remotely with a 0.4-m f/6.8 reflector, at San
Pedro de Atacama, Chile on Aug 23.4, show a diffuse object with central
condensation and a 17" diameter coma.
     The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic orbital
elements by G. V. Williams, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2014-Q38.

     T = 2014 Nov. 19.24099 TT        Peri. =  48.40414
                                      Node  =  63.25720 2000.0
     q = 1.6318848 AU                 Incl. =  90.49751


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2014 CBAT
2014 August 24                   (CBET 3936)              Michael Rudenko