[IAUC] IAUC 9048: C/2009 K4; V5581 Sgr = N Sgr 2009 No. 1 [25139-2009/08-R1]

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                                                  Circular No. 9048
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
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COMET C/2009 K4 (GIBBS)
     A. R. Gibbs reports his discovery of a comet on unfiltered CCD
images obtained at low altitude in astronomical twilight with the
Catalina 0.68-m Schmidt telescope (discovery observation tabulated
below); four co-added 15-s exposures show a 5" x 9" coma, elongated
in the direction of motion, with a "fuzzy halo" 11" across.  Four
co-added 30-s follow-up images obtained by R. E. Hill on May 28.2
UT with the 1.5-m reflector at Mt. Lemmon show a coma 20"-24" in
diameter with no obvious tail.  After posting on the Minor Planet
Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, other CCD astrometrists have also
commented on the object's cometary appearance.  J. Young (Table
Mountain 0.61-m reflector, May 27.2 and 28.2, low altitude; nearby
faint galaxies were problematical) reports a very diffuse coma of
diameter 12" with little central condensation and no tail.  M.
Pietschnig (Alter Satzberg, Vienna, Austria, 0.35-m reflector, May
27.84-27.86) measures a 15" coma.  M. Jaeger (Stixendorf, Austria,
0.20-m reflector, May 27.9) reports a coma of diameter 1'-1'.5 of
total mag about 16 with a nuclear condensation of mag about 17.5.
E. Guido and G. Sostero, Castellammare di Stabia, Italy, report
that twenty-one co-added 120-s unfiltered images obtained remotely
on May 28.2 with a 0.25-m reflector near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A., show
a sharp central condensation about 6" in diameter surrounded by an
extremely faint outer coma nearly 40" in diameter.  C. Hergenrother,
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, reports that a co-added 11-min
R-band exposure with the Kuiper 1.54-m reflector shows a circular
coma 17" in diameter.

     2009 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     May  27.14873    7 57 43.63   +46 02 11.6   17.0   Gibbs

The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic
orbital elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2009-K63.

     T = 2009 June 18.433 TT          Peri. = 126.837
                                      Node  =  29.747   2000.0
     q = 1.56252 AU                   Incl. =  34.820


V5581 SAGITTARII = NOVA SAGITTARII 2009 No. 1
     N. Samus reports that the GCVS team has assigned the
designation V5581 Sgr to the nova announced on IAUC 9041.

                      (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 May 28                    (9048)            Daniel W. E. Green