[IAUC] IAUC 9029: P/2009 F1; DONATIONS TO THE CENTRAL BUREAU [25139-2009/08-R1]

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                                                  Circular No. 9029
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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COMET P/2009 F1 (LARSON)
     S. M. Larson, University of Arizona, reports his discovery of
a comet on survey CCD images taken with the Mt. Lemmon 1.5-m
reflector (discovery observation tabulated below), the object
showing a coma diameter of 4"-6" and being more diffuse than nearby
stars of similar brightness; his images the following night
confirmed the hint of coma.  Four co-added 120-s unfiltered images
taken with the same telescope by A. R. Gibbs on Mar. 19.3 UT show a
fuzzy ball 12" in diameter, much brighter in its core, with no
visible tail.  Following posting on the Minor Planet Center's
'NEOCP' webpage, other CCD astrometrists have remarked on the
object's cometary appearance.  Images taken by R. Holmes
(Charleston, IL, U.S.A., 61-cm reflector, Mar. 17.3; measured by S.
Foglia) show the object to be diffuse.  F. Hormuth (Calar Alto
1.23-m reflector, Mar. 18.91) notes a slightly diffuse appearance
and coma diameter 4", slightly elongated towards p.a. about 270 deg,
on six 30-s unfiltered CCD exposures.  L. Buzzi (Varese, Italy,
0.60-m reflector, Mar. 19.0) writes that 8-min stacked exposures
shows a compact coma of size about 10" with no tail.  P.
Birtwhistle (Great Shefford, Berkshire, England, 0.40-m reflector,
Mar. 19.09-19.11) reports that co-added images totalling 30 min of
exposure shows a circular but slightly "soft" object that is 35-40
percent larger than all nearby stars of similar brightness; a
similar appearance was reported by E. Guido, G. Sostero, and P.
Camilleri on Mar. 19.4 (thirty co-added 120-s unfiltered exposures
taken remotely with a 0.25-m reflector near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.;
slight elongation toward p.a. 290 deg).  W. H. Ryan (Magdalena
Ridge Observatory, 2.4-m reflector, Mar. 19.3) finds a fuzzy
appearance compared to field stars.

     2009 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Mar. 16.43134   13 08 44.16   - 4 25 33.2   19.0   Larson

The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic
orbital elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2009-F34.

     T = 2009 June 24.708 TT          Peri. = 218.972
                                      Node  = 357.921   2000.0
     q = 1.83816 AU                   Incl. = 171.401


DONATIONS TO THE CENTRAL BUREAU
     Further to IAUC 9027, a donation to the Central Bureau has
kindly been made by Joe Hobart, Flagstaff, AZ, U.S.A.

                      (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 March 19                  (9029)            Daniel W. E. Green