Comet P/2009 L2 (Yang-Gao)

Rui Yang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; and Xing Gao, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, report the discovery of a new comet on several survey images (limiting mag about 15) taken by Gao in the course of the Xingming Comet Survey using a Canon 350D camera (+ 10.7-cm f/2.8 camera lens) at Mt. Nanshan -- the new object identified as cometary by Yang. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, numerous other CCD astrometrists have reported the object to have cometary appearance during June 16.4-16.7 UT, including E. Guido and G. Sostero (remotely using a "Global Rent-a-Scope" 25-cm reflector near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; ten co-added unfiltered 60-s exposures show a coma of diameter about 40" and a tail nearly 90" long in p.a. 245 deg); L. Elenin (remotely using a 20-cm refractor at Tzec Maun Observatory near Cloudcroft, NM; coma of size about 36" with a short tail in p.a. 225 deg); E. Prosperi and P. Camilleri (remotely using a 36-cm reflector at Grove Creek Observatory, Trunkey, N.S.W., Australia; 30" coma with 70" tail in p.a. 240 deg); M. Suzuki (Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan, remotely using a "Global Rent-a-Scope" 25-cm reflector at Moorook, South Australia; coma diameter about 30"); Y. Ikari (Moriyama, Shiga-ken, Japan, 26-cm reflector; coma diameter 0'.8, with a 2'.2 tail in p.a. 253 deg); R. Ligustri (Udine, Italy; remotely using a 35-cm reflector at Moorook; fifteen co-added 60-s exposures show a coma diameter of about 30"); C. Jacques and E. Pimentel (remotely using a 25-cm reflector at Moorook; 45" coma and a broad tail 1'.5 long in p.a. 240 deg). 2009 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer June 15.80840 18 16 19.40 -14 15 30.7 14.2 Yang The available astrometry, the following preliminary elliptical orbital elements by B. G. Marsden, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2009-M05. T = 2009 May 19.898 TT Peri. = 345.164 e = 0.63486 Node = 259.343 2000.0 q = 1.28936 AU Incl. = 16.223 a = 3.53115 AU n = 0.148535 P = 6.64 years