[IAUC] IAUC 9108: P/2010 A5; P/2010 A3 [25139-2010/01-R1]

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                                                  Circular No. 9108
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/2010 A5 (LINEAR)
     An apparently asteroidal object reported by the LINEAR project
(discovery observation tabulated below) and placed on the Minor
Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage has been reported as cometary by
other CCD astrometrists.  R. Ligustri (Udine, Italy, remotely using
a 0.32-m f/9 reflector at RAS Observatory, Moorook, Australia; Jan.
15.7 UT) writes that 24 stacked 60-s image show a coma of size
about 20".  L. Buzzi (Varese, Italy, 0.60-m reflector; Jan. 16.2)
reports that stacked images totalling 15 min of exposure time
obtained in good seeing show a compact coma elongated in p.a. 300
deg, with a tail visible in that direction for at least 20".  K.
Sarneczky (Konkoly Observatory, 1.02-m Ritchey-Chretien telescope;
Jan. 16.2) notes that a 120-s co-added image shows a 25"-long fan-
shaped tail in p.a. 290 deg.  E. Guido and G. Sostero (remotely
using a 0.25-m reflector near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; Jan. 16.4) write
that fifteen co-added 120-s exposures show a diffuse coma nearly
12" in diameter, elongated about 20" in p.a. 300 deg.  W. H. Ryan
(Magdalena Ridge Observatory, 2.4-m reflector; Jan. 16.5) reports
that R-band exposures taken by E. V. Ryan and himself show a coma
with a tail in p.a. about 280 deg.  H. Sato (Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan,
remotely using a 0.25-m reflector at RAS Observatory, near Mayhill,
NM; Jan. 16.5) finds a 10" coma elongated toward p.a. 240 deg.  S.
Foglia (using a 0.18-m reflector at Tzec Maun Observatory,
Cloudcroft, NM, U.S.A., with P. Concari, G. Galli, and M. Tombelli;
Jan. 16.5) reports that eight stacked 120-s images show the object
to be diffuse with mag about 17.1.

     2010 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Jan. 14.45298   13 26 02.76   -15 55 53.3   17.7   LINEAR

Further astrometry, the following preliminary elliptical orbital
elements, and an ephemeris are given on MPEC 2010-B02.

     T = 2010 Apr. 20.601 TT          Peri. = 307.527
     e = 0.67268                      Node  = 278.071   2000.0
     q = 1.70451 AU                   Incl. =   5.789
       a =  5.20739 AU     n = 0.082942     P =  11.9 years


COMET P/2010 A3 (HILL)
     Elliptical orbital elements from MPEC 2010-A85 for epoch 2010
Mar. 25.0 TT:  T = 2010 Apr. 3.6804 TT, e = 0.732116, q = 1.621774
AU, i = 15.0270 deg, Peri. = 41.2825 deg, Node = 64.8307 deg
(equinox 2000.0), P = 14.9 years.

                      (C) Copyright 2010 CBAT
2010 January 16                (9108)            Daniel W. E. Green