[IAUC] IAUC 9032: COMET C/2009 F4 (McNAUGHT); C/2008 X13, C/2008 X14, C/2008 Y4, C/2008 Y5 [25139-2009/08-R1]

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                                                  Circular No. 9032
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
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COMET C/2009 F4 (McNAUGHT)
     R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a strongly condensed
comet on CCD images taken with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt reflector
at Siding Spring (discovery observation tabulated below), the
object showing some diffuseness.  Stacked follow-up images by
McNaught on Mar. 20.6-20.8 UT show the comet to appear softer than
the images of nearby stars of similar brightness.  Following
posting on the Minor Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, G. Sostero,
E. Guido, V. Gonano, and P. Camilleri report that nineteen co-added
unfiltered CCD 300-s exposures taken on Mar. 20.1 with a 0.45-m
f/4.4 reflector at Remanzacco, Italy, show the object to be
slightly diffuse when compared to nearby stars of similar
brightness, with a short extension nearly 12" long toward the west.
R. Ligustri, Talmassons, Udine, Italy, reports that eleven stacked
180-s images taken remotely with a 0.25-m f/3 reflector near
Mayhill, NM, U.S.A., on Mar. 20.4 shows the object's images to have
a FHWM that is 30 percent larger than stars of similar brightness.

     2009 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Mar. 19.68311   15 47 03.25   -23 10 41.8   17.8   McNaught

The available astrometry, the following very preliminary parabolic
orbital elements by B. G. Marsden, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC
2009-F54.

     T = 2012 Jan. 10.967 TT          Peri. = 256.890
                                      Node  =  53.687   2000.0
     q = 5.80600 AU                   Incl. =  80.138


COMETS C/2008 X13, C/2008 X14, C/2008 Y4, C/2008 Y5 (SOHO)
     Further to IAUC 9031, additional Kreutz sungrazers have been
found on SOHO website images.  K. Battams notes that C/2008 X13 was
quite diffuse (mag about 7.5) with a very short, diffuse tail.
C/2008 X14 was extremely faint (mag about 8.5) and slightly diffuse.
C/2008 Y4 and C/2008 Y5 were tiny and stellar in appearance (mag
about 8-8.5).

 Comet        2008 UT       R.A.(2000)Decl.   Inst.  F    MPEC
 C/2008 X13   Dec. 10.729   17 14.0  -24 52   C2     RK   2009-E61
 C/2008 X14        13.663   17 28.5  -25 04   C2     ZX   2009-E63
 C/2008 Y4         19.712   17 56.4  -25 08   C2     BZ   2009-E63
 C/2008 Y5         19.896   17 57.7  -25 08   C2     ZJ   2009-E63

                      (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 March 21                  (9032)            Daniel W. E. Green