Comet C/2012 V2 (LINEAR)
Abstract
An apparently asteroidal object discovered by the LINEAR survey (discovery observations tabulated below) has been reported as having cometary appearance by numerous cometary astrometrists elsewhere after posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage. R-band images obtained by W. H. Ryan and E. V. Ryan (Magdalena Ridge Observatory, 2.4-m f/8.9 reflector; Nov. 7.15-7.18 UT) show a distinct coma of mag 17.0 and a tail at p.a. about 90 deg. H. Sato (Tokyo, Japan; remotely using a 0.43-m f/6.8 astrograph at the RAS Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; Nov. 7.2) finds a strongly condensed coma 23" in diameter with total V-band magnitude 16.9 as measured within a circular aperture of radius 11".4, and a faint tail extending 20" toward p.a. 90 deg. R. Ligustri (Udine, Italy; remotely using a 0.50-m f/4.5 reflector at the RAS Observatory near Mayhill; Nov. 7.2) measures a 16" coma of red mag 17.3 on eight stacked 120-s exposures; his exposures taken with a 0.35-m f/6 reflector at Talmassons, Italy, on Nov. 7.8 show an elongated coma toward p.a. 90 deg. Eleven stacked 120-s unfiltered images taken by L. Donato, E. Guido, G. Sostero, and M. Travagini with a 0.45-m f/4.4 reflector at the Remanzacco Observatory, Udine, Italy on Nov. 7.8 reveal a compact coma about 10" in diameter having red mag 17.4-17.7. F. Tozzi (Lanzo d'Intelvi, Italy; 0.40-m f/3.5 reflector; Nov. 7.9) reports a diffuse tail on his images. E. Cozzi (Mozzate, Italy; 0.36-m f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector; Nov. 7.9) notes a small coma of diameter about 10" and red mag 17.4 that is elongated toward the east. Images taken by M. Jaeger, E. Prosperi, S. Prosperi, and W. Vollmann (Vienna, Austria; 0.20-m f/2.8 reflector; Nov. 7.9) show a starlike nuclear condensation and a 20" coma. Images taken by G. Masi and F. Nocentini Ceccano, Italy; measured by G. Masi and U. Masi; 0.43-m f/6.8 reflector; Nov. 7.9) show a clear nuclear condensation and a tail about 15" long toward the west. L. Buzzi (Varese, Italy; 0.38-m f/6.8 reflector; Nov. 7.9) reports that sixty stacked 30-s images show a compact coma 12" wide of red mag 17.1 that is elonaged in p.a. about 90 deg. T. Lister writes that images taken with the McDonald Observatory 1.0-m f/8 Ritchey-Chretien reflector on Nov. 8.05 show a coma of diameter 7" x 5".5 extending to the east in 1".7 seeing. E. Bryssinck (Kruibeke, Belgium; remotely using a 0.51-m f/4.5 astrograph at the RAS Observatory near Mayhill via iTelescope.net; nine stacked 120-s unfiltered exposures; Nov. 8.1) finds a coma diameter of about 11". 2012 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Nov. 5.08380 21 20 00.17 +71 27 19.3 19.0 5.09852 21 20 00.52 +71 27 07.6 18.9 5.11311 21 20 00.79 +71 26 57.3 18.7 5.12782 21 20 01.02 +71 26 45.4 19.5 The available astrometry (including prediscovery observations from the MASTER-II Observatory, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, on Oct. 30), the following parabolic orbital elements by G. V. Williams, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2012-V58. T = 2013 Aug. 18.2254 TT Peri. = 217.7779 Node = 261.6933 2000.0 q = 1.449637 AU Incl. = 67.4378
- Publication:
-
Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams
- Pub Date:
- November 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012CBET.3290....1R