News - May 2005

2005 May 26

Further SOHO Kreutz comets: C/2000 S9 (SOHO) (R. Kracht), C/2005 G7 (SOHO) (H. Su), C/2005 H3 (SOHO) (H. Su), C/2005 H4 (SOHO) (C. Liang), C/2005 H5 (SOHO) (T. Hoffman), C/2005 H6 (SOHO) (R. Kracht) and C/2005 H8 (SOHO) (B. Zhou). C/2005 H7 (SOHO) (R. Kracht) belongs to no known comet group, its orbit is very indeterminate. C/2005 H2 (SOHO) (H. Su) is the 55^th member of the Meyer group. Official SOHO comets: 949. (MPEC 2005-K43, MPEC 2005-K44)

2005 May 20

New Discovery!: On May. 19, 2005, the LINEAR survey discovered a new comet. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page R. Hutsebaut (Bruxelles, remotely observing at 'New Mexico Skies Observatory') and J. Young (Table Mountain Observatory) were able to confirm the cometary nature of the 17.5^m object. The first and very preliminary orbit for comet C/2005 K2 (LINEAR) shows perihelion at about 0.7 AU on June 29, 2005. The comet is intrinsically very faint and may reach only 13^m. This is LINEARs 158^th comet discovery. (IAUC 8533 subscription required,)

2005 May 18

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object, discovered on May 06, by the Catalina Sky Survey, and designated 2005 JQ₅ (MPEC 2005-J29), has been found to be cometary by C. Snodgrass, S. C. Lowry, and A. Fitzsimmons (Faulkes Telescope-North). Earlier reports already mentioned a possible cometary nature of the 17^m object (discovery observations and May 11, observations by LONEOS). The orbit for comet P/2005 JQ₅ (Catalina) shows perihelion at the end of July 2005, at about 0.83 AU. Despite the small absolute magnitude the comet may reach 11^m in July due to the close approach to Earth (0.1 AU). Unfortunately around this time the comet will be closer than 40 degrees to the Sun. The period is about 4.4 years. This is Catalina's 18^th comet discovery. (IAUC 8528 subscription required, MPEC 2005-K14)
New Discovery!: B. A. Skiff reports his discovery of a new comet on May 16, in the course of the LONEOS survey. After posting the object on the NEO Confirmation Page R. Trentman (Louisburg) and P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford) were able to confirm the cometary nature of the 17^m object. The first orbit for comet C/2005 K1 (Skiff) shows the perihelion in Nov. 2005, at about 4.2 AU. This is the 32^nd comet discovery by LONEOS. (CBET 153 subscription required, MPEC 2005-K15)

2005 May 16

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object, discovered on May 03, 2005, in the course of the Spacewatch survey and designated 2005 JN, has been found cometary by C. W. Hergenrother (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory) on May 12. With prediscovery data of Catalina (Apr. 04) and LONEOS (Apr. 15) the orbit for the 18.5^m comet P/2005 JN (Spacewatch) shows the perihelion on June 20, 2005, at about 2.3 AU. This is the 28^th comet discovery by Spacewatch. (IAUC 8528 subscription required, MPEC 2005-K11)
New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on May 12. After postin the object on the NEO Confirmation Page J. Young (Table Mountain) and E. Beshore (Mount Lemmon Survey) were able to detect the cometary nature of the 18^m object. The first an preliminary orbit for comet C/2005 J2 (Catalina) shows perihelion already at the end of March 2005, at about 4.3 AU. This is Catalina's 17^th comet discovery. (CBET 152 subscription required, MPEC 2005-K01)

2005 May 10

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object, discovered on Mar. 08, 2005, by the LONEOS survey, and designated 2005 EL₁₇₃, has been found to be cometary by A. Fitzsimmons (Queen's University, Belfast) on May 10.0 UT with the 3.6-m New Technology Telescope at the European Southern Observatory. The orbit for comet C/2005 EL₁₇₃ (LONEOS) - inlcuding prediscovery observations by Spacewatch of Mar. 03 - shows a perihelion at about 3.9 AU in March 2007. This is LONEOS' 31^st comet discovery. (IAUC 8526 subscription required)

2005 May 08

New Discovery!: R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring) reports his discovery of a new comet in the course of the Siding Spring Survey on May 03, 2005. After posting the 18m comet on the NEO Confirmation Page A. C. Gilmore (Mt. John Obs.) was able to confirm the cometary nature. The first and preliminary orbit for comet P/2005 J1 (McNaught) shows a perihelion at about 1.5 AU already in April 2005. The period is about 7 years. This is the 7th comet discovery by the Siding Spring Survey and Rob McNaught's 16^th credited comet discovery and he now shares place 6 with E. E. Barnard in the (credited) discovery ranking for comets. (IAUC 8525 subscription required, MPEC 2005-J32)

2005 May 07

Further SOHO Kreutz comets: C/2005 F3 (SOHO) (M. Meyer), C/2005 F4 (SOHO) (H. Su), C/2005 F5 (SOHO) (B. Zhou), C/2005 G3 (SOHO) (X. Leprette), C/2005 G4 (SOHO) (H. Su), C/2005 G5 (SOHO) (C. Liang) and C/2005 G6 (SOHO) (B. Zhou). Official SOHO comets: 940. (MPEC 2005-J25)

2005 May 03

New Discovery!: On Apr. 30, 2005, the LINEAR survey discovered an asteroidal object with unusual motion. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page J. Young (Table Mountain), G. Hug (Eskridge), and A. Fitzsimmons (Haleakala) were able to detect the cometary appearance. The 18.5^m comet C/2005 H1 (LINEAR) passed perihelion (according to the first and very preliminary orbit) in February 2005, at about 5.1 AU. This is LINEARs 157^th comet discovery. (IAUC 8522 subscription required, MPEC 2005-J11)