Comet P/2013 T1 (Panstarrs)
Abstract
Richard Wainscoat, Larry Denneau, Peter Veres, Bryce Bolin, and Marco Micheli, report the discovery of a comet on four w-band CCD images taken with the Pan-STARRS1 telescope at Haleakala; the object appears cometary on each image with a relatively compact nuclear condensation and a short, diffuse tail extending for approximately 4" in p.a. approximately 220 degrees. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, other CCD astrometrists have also commented on the object's cometary appearance. R. S. McMillan, University of Arizona, writes that images taken on Oct. 6.23-6.25 UT with the Spacewatch 1.8-m telescope at Kitt Peak show a 9" tail toward p.a. 225 deg. W. H. Ryan reports that R-band images taken on Oct. 8.15-8.17 with the Magdalena Ridge Observatory 2.4-m f/8.9 reflector show a distinct tail at p.a. about 200 deg. H. Sato, Tokyo, Japan, found a moderately condensed coma of diameter 8"-10" in images obtained on Oct. 8.2 with an iTelescope 0.51-m f/6.8 astrograph (+ luminance filter) located near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A. Images taken by R. Holmes (Ashmore, IL, USA; 0.81-m f/4 astrograph; measured by Holmes, T. Linder, S. Foglia, L. Buzzi, and T. Vorobjov) on Oct. 8.3 show a narrow tail 19" long in p.a. 219.6 degrees. 2013 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Oct. 5.37396 1 24 30.21 +16 57 31.8 21.8 5.38756 1 24 29.31 +16 57 40.4 21.3 5.40120 1 24 28.38 +16 57 48.8 21.6 5.41483 1 24 27.45 +16 57 57.7 21.5 The available astrometry (including prediscovery observations on Sept. 13.4 and Oct. 4.3 UT from the Mount Lemmon Survey), the following preliminary elliptical orbital elements by G. V. Williams, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2013-T76. T = 2013 July 31.3161 TT Peri. = 345.8687 e = 0.623630 Node = 10.2933 2000.0 q = 2.211666 AU Incl. = 24.2325 a = 5.876312 AU n = 0.0691905 P = 14.24 years
- Publication:
-
Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams
- Pub Date:
- October 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013CBET.3668....1W