Comet P/2012 C3 (Panstarrs)
Abstract
Larry Denneau and Richard Wainscoat, Institute for Astronomy (IfA), University of Hawaii, report the discovery of a comet in four exposures taken with the 1.8-m Pan-STARRS 1 telescope at Haleakala (discovery observations tabulated below), with the object appearing slightly soft and slightly larger than nearby stars of similar brightness, with a hint of a faint tail extending to the northwest. Wainscoat and Marco Micheli (IfA) obtained follow-up r-band exposures on Feb. 16.3 UT using the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, which show an extended nuclear condensation (FWHM = 1".5, vs. 1".0-1".2 for nearby stars) and a tail extending for approximately 12" in p.a. 280 degrees. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, G. Sostero, N. Howes, and E. Guido report that ten 60-s R-band CCD exposures, taken remotely with the 2.0-m f/10 Ritchey-Chretien "Faulkes Telescope South" at Siding Spring on Feb. 16.6 UT, show a faint fan-shaped tail nearly 6" long in p.a. 284 deg. 2012 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Feb. 15.35211 9 44 25.41 +15 32 40.6 21.6 15.36598 9 44 25.03 +15 32 44.6 21.7 15.37984 9 44 24.61 +15 32 48.3 21.6 15.39382 9 44 24.19 +15 32 52.3 21.7 The available astrometry (including prediscovery Mount Lemmon astrometry from Jan. 26), the following preliminary elliptical orbital elements by G. V. Williams, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2012-D03. T = 2011 Oct. 11.9930 TT Peri. = 346.3995 e = 0.610441 Node = 135.5851 2000.0 q = 3.678429 AU Incl. = 9.3850 a = 9.442538 AU n = 0.0339681 P = 29.02 years
- Publication:
-
Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams
- Pub Date:
- February 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012CBET.3021....1S