Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 9146: C/2010 J3
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Circular No. 9146
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director: D. W. E. Green, Room 209; Department of
Earth and Planetary Sciences; Harvard University;
20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA 02138; U.S.A.
CBAT@IAU.ORG; CBATIAU@EPS.HARVARD.EDU
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html ISSN 0081-0304
COMET C/2010 J3 (McMILLAN)
R. S. McMillan, University of Arizona, reports his discovery
of a comet with a short tail toward p.a. 260 deg on CCD mosaic
images taken in poor seeing with the Spacewatch 0.9-m f/3 reflector
at Kitt Peak (discovery observation tabulated below). Follow-up
observations by McMillan with the Spacewatch 1.8-m f/2.7 reflector
on May 12.29 UT in good seeing show a tail spanning 10 degrees in
position angle and 30" long in p.a. 265 deg; additional images by
T. H. Bressi with the same instrument on May 13.3 show a tail at
least 50" long in p.a. 265 deg. Following posting on the Minor
Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, numerous other CCD astrometrists
have commented on the object's cometary appearance, with the
following coma diameters and tail lengths measured: May 12.4,
about 12", about 20" in p.a. 265 deg (G. Sostero, E. Guido, L.
Donato, and V. Gonano, remotely with a 0.18-m refractor at Tzec
Maun Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; compact coma with a
sharp central condensation and a broad tail); May 12.41, 11", - (D.
Balam, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, 1.82-m Plaskett
telescope + Gunn g filter; well-condensed); May 12.4, 6" (H. Sato,
Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan; remotely from the RAS Observatory, Mayhill,
0.30-m reflector; very condensed); May 12.4, about 8", - (P.
Concari, S. Foglia, G. Galli, and M. Tombelli, 0.36-m reflector at
Tzec Maun Observatory, Cloudcroft, NM, U.S.A.); May 12.5, -, 20" in
p.a. 260 deg (J. Cave and R. Miles, 2.0-m f/10 'Faulkes Telescope
South', Siding Spring; weak tail); May 12.6, 20", p.a. 270 deg (R.
Ligustri, remotely with an RAS Observatory 0.40-m reflector at
Moorook; elongated coma); May 12.9, 0'.15, 0'.7 in p.a. 270 deg (A.
Novichonok, Kondopoga, Russia, and D. Chestnov, Saransk, Russia,
from images taken remotely by T. Kryachko, Moscow, with a 0.3-m
reflector at Zelenchukskaya Station; round, condensed coma with a
central, nearly-stellar condensation and a wide, faint tail); May
13.26, -, 20"-25" in p.a. 245 deg (P. Camilleri, remotely with a
Tzec Maun 0.35-m reflector near Cloudcroft); May 13.2, 10", - (T.
Yusa, Osaki, Japan; remotely with an RAS Observatory 0.25-m
reflector near Mayhill; condensed coma and a faint tail toward the
west); May 13.3, 10", 25" in p.a. 250 deg (Sato, 0.25-m reflector;
faint tail).
2010 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer
May 12.20581 15 35 21.16 - 1 11 08.9 17.8 McMillan
The available astrometry, the preliminary parabolic orbital
elements by B. G. Marsden (T = 2010 Sept. 28.304 TT, q = 2.21022
AU, Peri. = 180.617 deg, Node = 101.173 deg, i = 14.487 deg,
equinox 2000.0), and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2010-J80.
T = 2010 Sept.28.304 TT Peri. = 180.617
Node = 101.173 2000.0
q = 2.21022 AU Incl. = 14.487
(C) Copyright 2010 CBAT
2010 May 13 (9146) Daniel W. E. Green
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