[IAUC] CBET 2801: 20110831 : COMET C/2010 X1 (ELENIN)

[quai en eps.harvard.edu]

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 2801
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director:  Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University;
 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA  02138; U.S.A.
e-mail:  cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat en iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


COMET C/2010 X1 (ELENIN)
     Michael Mattiazzo, Castlemaine, Victoria. Australia, reports that,
following a notable fading of this comet from Aug. 17 to 22, he finds this
comet to be continuing to fade and disperse in CCD images, as if it is in the
process of disintegrating; his CCD image taken on Aug. 27.37 UT reveals that
the nuclear condensation has spread out into an elongated, diffuse smudge,
adding that it is reminiscent of comet C/1999 S4.  R. H. McNaught confirms
this appearance on images taken with the Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding
Spring, noting that there is absolutely no condensation visible, making
astrometry very difficult.
     Visual total-magnitude and coma-diameter estimates:  June 25.93 UT, 10.5,
2'.5 (J. J. Gonzalez, Leon, Spain, 0.20-m reflector; alt. 12 deg); July 20.38,
9.9, 4' (D. A. J. Seargent, Cowra, NSW, Australia, 25.4-cm reflector); 25.40,
10.2, 3' (M. Mattiazzo, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, 20-cm reflector);
30.40, 9.5, 4' (Mattiazzo, 25x100 binoculars; zodiacal light); Aug. 3.91, 9.7,
3' (A. Amorim, Florianopolis, Brazil, 0.18-m reflector; moonlight); 7.39, 9.0,
3' (Mattiazzo; moonlight); 16.38, 8.4, 5' (Seargent, 25x100 binoculars); 17.39,
8.2, 4' (Mattiazzo; zodiacal light); 18.30, 8.3, 4' (S. T. Rae, Hamilton, New
Zealand, 9x63 binoculars); 19.36, 8.4, 4' (Seargent); 19.39, 8.1, 4'
(Mattiazzo; zodiacal light); 20.31, 8.3, 5' (Rae); 21.31, 8.6, 4' (Rae);
22.39, 8.8, 3' (Mattiazzo); 23.39, 8.9, 3' (Mattiazzo).


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
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                         (C) Copyright 2011 CBAT
2011 August 31                   (CBET 2801)              Daniel W. E. Green