Comet C/2012 Y3 (McNaught)
Abstract
R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a moderately condensed comet with a 0'.4 coma extended toward the northeast on CCD images obtained with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring (discovery observations tabulated below with total magnitudes). After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, other CCD astrometrists have also commented on the object's cometary appearance. T. Linder and R. Holmes found a round 1' coma on co-added images taken with a 0.41-m f/11 Ritchey-Chretien telescope at Cerro Tololo on 2012 Dec. 31.1 UT. C. Jacques and E. Pimentel (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), with J. Barros, obtained images remotely with an "itelescope.net" 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph at Siding Spring on Dec. 31.68 that show a condensed coma 30" in diameter and no evidence of a tail. M. Masek, Liberec, Czech Republic, writes that observations obtained by J. Cerny, J. Ebr, M. Prouza, P. Kubanek, M. Jelinek, and himself on 2013 Jan. 1.05-1.06 with a 0.3-m f/10 reflector show a strong central condensation of diameter 8" with a diffuse coma of diameter 21". E. Guido, Castellammare di Stabia, Italy, notes that nineteen stacked 30-s unfiltered exposures taken by N. Howes and himself on Jan. 1.5 with an "iTelescope.Net" 0.32-m f/9.0 Ritchey-Chretien telescope at Siding Spring show a coma about 10" in diameter with a fan-shaped tail elongated in p.a. 95 deg. 2012 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer Dec. 30.57879 5 36 59.79 -59 48 26.6 15.2 McNaught 30.58320 5 36 59.29 -59 48 19.7 15.1 " 30.60486 5 36 57.08 -59 47 42.7 15.4 " 30.60919 5 36 56.70 -59 47 35.9 15.3 " 30.61778 5 36 55.70 -59 47 21.8 15.3 " 30.62229 5 36 55.24 -59 47 13.1 15.4 " 30.73150 5 36 43.97 -59 44 08.5 15.4 " 30.73609 5 36 43.49 -59 44 00.6 15.4 " 30.73926 5 36 43.20 -59 43 55.1 15.3 " The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements by G. V. Williams, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2013-A03. T = 2012 Aug. 26.5911 TT Peri. = 236.1539 Node = 121.6933 2000.0 q = 1.781719 AU Incl. = 73.9022
- Publication:
-
Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013CBET.3367....1M