[IAUC] CBET 3001: 20120129 : COMET P/2012 A3 = P/2003 T12 (SOHO)

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 3001
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 P/2012 A3 = P/2003 T12 (SOHO)
     K. Battams, Naval Research Laboratory, has forwarded astrometric measures
for a new comet found by Alan Watson on website images obtained with the
STEREO-B spacecraft, for which Rainer Kracht has suggested a linkage to comet
C/2003 T12 (cf. IAUC 8344).  Battams notes that the comet shows a short tail
with a generally diffuse appearance, adding that it peaked around mag 6 in the
COR-2B camera images.  Below are corresponding geocentric positions computed
by the undersigned for the first two measured frames by Battams (measures
reduced by G. V. Williams).

    2012 UT           R.A. (2000.0) Decl.
    Jan. 13.309       21 17.24   -15 49.7
         13.392       21 17.69   -15 48.8

The fully reduced astrometry and the following orbital elements (including
observations spanning 2003 Oct. 9-2012 Jan. 21; mean residual 8".2) by
Williams appear on MPEC 2012-B96.

                    Epoch = 2003 Oct.  8.0 TT
     T = 2003 Oct. 16.347 TT          Peri. = 214.714
     e = 0.77069                      Node  = 179.189   2000.0
     q = 0.59102 AU                   Incl. =  11.983
       a =  2.57735 AU     n = 0.238202     P =   4.14 years

                    Epoch = 2012 Feb.  3.0 TT
     T = 2012 Jan. 26.5375 TT         Peri. = 217.7041
     e = 0.775392                     Node  = 176.4900  2000.0
     q = 0.576933 AU                  Incl. =  11.3855
       a =  2.568621 AU    n = 0.2394165    P =   4.12 years


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                         (C) Copyright 2012 CBAT
2012 January 29                  (CBET 3001)              Daniel W. E. Green