[IAUC] CBET 827: 20070131 : COMET P/2006 XG16 (SPACEWATCH)

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 827
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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CBAT en CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
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COMET P/2006 XG16 (SPACEWATCH)
     C. W. Hergenrother, University of Arizona, informs us that R-band
images taken with the Catalina 1.54-m telescope show the Spacewatch
discovery 2006 XG16 (cf. MPS 192606, 195581, MPO 113007; discovery
observation below) to be a comet.  It was suspected to be cometary on images
taken on 2007 Jan. 27.19 UT in poor seeing.  Co-added 600-s R-band exposures
in excellent seeing on Jan. 28.19 UT show the object at R = 18.2 with a coma
9" in diameter and a tail 20" long in p.a. 135 deg.

     2006 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.
     Dec. 10.41280    7 31 13.50   +26 37 28.7

     The following orbital elements, together with the Jan. 27-28 astrometry,
full residuals and an ephemeris, are given on MPEC 2007-B79.

                    Epoch = 2007 Mar.  1.0 TT
     T = 2007 Feb.  9.9575 TT         Peri. =  41.3095
     e = 0.420981                     Node  =  78.4544  2000.0
     q = 2.102218 AU                  Incl. =   9.0781
       a =  3.630654 AU    n = 0.1424711    P =   6.918 years


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                         (C) Copyright 2007 CBAT
2007 January 31                  (CBET 827)               Brian G. Marsden