[IAUC] IAUC 9003: COMET C/2008 X3 (LINEAR); C/2008 P2-P6, C/2008 Q5 [25139-2009/08-R1]
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Sab Dic 6 02:57:59 ARST 2008
Circular No. 9003
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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COMET C/2008 X3 (LINEAR)
An apparently asteroidal object discovered by the LINEAR
survey (and posted on the Minor Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage;
discovery observation tabulated below) has been reported by CCD
astrometrists elsewhere to show cometary appearance. R. A.
Kowalski (Mt. Lemmon 1.5-m reflector) writes that four co-added
30-s CCD exposures taken on Dec. 5.5 UT in good seeing show a coma
of diameter approximately 15' and a tail approximately 30" long in
p.a. 300 deg. G. Hug (Scranton, KS, U.S.A., 0.56-m reflector)
notes the object to be an "obvious comet" with a nebulous
extension in p.a. about 330 deg on his images around the same time.
2008 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag.
Dec. 4.44689 12 20 41.89 + 8 46 23.5 18.4
The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic
orbital elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2008-X48.
T = 2008 Nov. 19.300 TT Peri. = 161.971
Node = 338.258 2000.0
q = 2.11036 AU Incl. = 71.042
COMETS C/2008 P2-P6 AND C/2008 Q5 (SOHO)
Further to IAUC 9001, additional Kreutz sungrazers have been
found on SOHO website images. C/2008 P2 was small and stellar in
appearance (mag about 6.5). C/2008 P3 was small and stellar in
appearance in C3 images (mag about 6.5), and very diffuse, very
faint, and elongated in C2 images. C/2008 P4 was small and stellar
in appearance (mag about 7). C/2008 P5 was small (mag about 6.5)
with a short tail in C3 images, and very diffuse, very faint, and
elongated in C2 images. C/2008 P6 (found by Z. Xu = ZX) was
stellar in appearance (mag about 7). C/2008 Q5 was tiny, very
faint (mag about 7-7.5), and stellar in appearance.
Comet 2008 UT R.A.(2000)Decl. Inst. F MPEC
C/2008 P2 Aug. 1.388 8 25.9 +15 40 C3 HS 2008-T11
C/2008 P3 Aug. 6.196 8 43.2 +14 23 C3/2 MK 2008-T11
C/2008 P4 Aug. 8.054 8 53.4 +14 53 C3 MK 2008-T11
C/2008 P5 Aug. 9.654 8 57.7 +13 18 C3/2 TH 2008-T11
C/2008 P6 Aug. 14.446 9 19.8 +13 12 C3 ZX 2008-T11
C/2008 Q5 Aug. 26.763 10 06.2 + 9 10 C3 JR 2008-X24
(C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 December 6 (9003) Daniel W. E. Green
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