Comet P/2011 P1 (McNaught)
Abstract
As first announced on CBET 2779, R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a comet (discovery observation tabulated below; replaces that on CBET 2779) on CCD images taken with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring; the discovery images show the comet to be diffuse with a circular coma of diameter about 20"; four stacked images later show a condensation and extension to the north and south. Eight stacked 60-s exposures by McNaught on Aug. 2.7 UT show a similar-sized coma spanning p.a. 30-210 deg with an apparent tail toward the west. Ten stacked 60-s images taken on Aug. 3.7 show the eastern edge of the coma to be much brighter extending 10" in p.a. 10 deg and 13" in p.a. 215 deg, like a tail and an anti-tail (but from previous images, this appears to be the eastern edge of the coma). Following posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, other CCD astrometrists also have commented on the object's cometary appearance (cf. CBET 2779). 2011 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer Aug. 1.77495 2 30 48.48 +17 06 47.2 18.6 McNaught The early astrometry appears on MPC 75580-75581; the following orbital elements by G. V. Williams are from 49 observations (Aug. 1-29): Epoch = 2011 Aug. 27.0 TT T = 2010 July 5.3310 TT Peri. = 339.2843 e = 0.413561 Node = 9.9815 2000.0 q = 4.885067 AU Incl. = 6.2747 a = 8.330046 AU n = 0.0409952 P = 24.04 years
- Publication:
-
International Astronomical Union Circular
- Pub Date:
- September 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011IAUC.9223....1M