[IAUC] IAUC 8982: C/2008 K3-K11, C/2008 L4 [25139-2009/08-R1]

Sab Sep 27 00:48:12 ART 2008

                                                  Circular No. 8982
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
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COMETS C/2008 K3-K11 AND C/2008 L4 (SOHO)
     Further to IAUC 8981, additional near-sun presumed comets have
been found on SOHO website images -- all Kreutz sungrazers except
for C/2008 K7 (Meyer group), which was tiny, stellar in appearance,
and faint (mag about 7.5-8), and C/2008 K10, which was small and
stellar in appearance (mag 7-7.5, brightening as it left the C2
field-of-view but never appeared in C3).  C/2008 K10 has been
identified by R. Kracht with C/1999 X3 (cf. IAUC 8735; not reported
until 2006 and being near the limit of visibility in C2 images) and
C/2004 E2 (cf. IAUC 8365), an identification confirmed by B. G.
Marsden (with linked orbits and residuals published on MPC 2008-S49;
for epoch 2008 May 14.0 TT, T = 2008 May 31.334 TT, q = 0.04797 AU,
e = 0.98162, Peri. = 353.611 deg, Node = 323.655 deg, i = 6.259 deg,
equinox 2000.0); Marsden notes that close approaches occurred to
the earth on 2000 Jan. 13 (Delta = 0.058 AU) and Mars on 2004 May
19 (Delta_M = 0.032 AU).  K. Battams writes that C/2008 K3 was tiny,
extremely faint (mag about 8.5), and stellar in appearance.  C/2008
K4 was one of the brightest comets seen by SOHO (saturating
slightly in both LASCO cameras, with estimated peak magnitude about
1-2), appearing as a bright teardrop in C3 images and having a
partly-forked, "thick" tail about 0.5 long in C2 images; both
SECCHI COR cameras also imaged C/2008 K4, with the tail appearing
somewhat thinner in the COR2A images and showing the slight "fork"
in the COR2B images.  C/2008 K5 and C/2008 K7 were tiny and stellar
in appearance (mag about 7.5-8).  C/2008 K6 was tiny and stellar in
appearance (mag about 7) in C3 images, and elongated and very
diffuse in C2 images.  C/2008 K8 was very diffuse (mag about 8).
C/2008 K9 and C/2008 K11 were both small and very diffuse (mag
about 8-8.5, the former being perhaps slightly fainter than the
latter).  C/2008 L4 was small and slightly diffuse (mag about 7-7.5).

 Comet        2008 UT       R.A.(2000)Decl.   Inst.  F    MPEC
 C/2008 K3    May 17.858     3 41.0  +17 51   C2     MK   2008-M13
 C/2008 K4        21.988     4 08.3  +16 12   C3/2   RM   2008-M13
 C/2008 K5        23.579     4 02.4  +18 52   C2     MK   2008-M13
 C/2008 K6        25.513     4 10.2  +18 08   C3/2   HS   2008-O15
 C/2008 K7        25.913     4 13.3  +22 23   C2     JR   2008-O15
 C/2008 K8        28.079     4 20.9  +19 43   C2     JR   2008-O15
 C/2008 K9        28.704     4 23.1  +19 47   C2     GP   2008-O15
 C/2008 K10       30.881     4 27.8  +21 22   C2     RK   2008-O16
 C/2008 K11       31.038     4 31.8  +20 05   C2     GS   2008-O16
 C/2008 L4    June 2.371     4 39.4  +20 18   C2     MK   2008-O16

                      (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 September 26              (8982)            Daniel W. E. Green