News - May 2007

2007 May 31

The first orbit for comet C/2007 K5 (Lovejoy) shows the perihelion already on Apr. 26, 2007, at about 1.1 AU. The comet will fade and remain at a small elongation. Astrometry is strongly encouraged. (IAUC 8841, subscription required, MPEC 2007-K80)
New Discovery!: R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a new comet on May 27, 2007, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. The first and preliminary orbit for the 18^m comet C/2007 K6 (McNaught) shows perihelion on Jun. 21, 2008, at about 3.5 AU. This is the 35^th comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 34^th for McNaught. (IAUC 8841, subscription required, MPEC 2007-K82)

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2004 J20   Kracht  B. Zhou        29^th member of the Kracht group
C/2007 A7    ---     L. Cane
C/2007 C7    ---     H. Su
C/2007 C8    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2007 C9    Kreutz  R. Matson
C/2007 C10   Meyer   H. Su          75^th member of the Meyer group
C/2007 C11   Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 C12   ---     H. Su
C/2007 C13   Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 D4    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 D5    Kreutz  A. Kubczak
C/2007 E4    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2007 E5    Kreutz  V. Bezugly
C/2007 F2    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2007 F3    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2007 F4    Meyer   B. Zhou        76^th member of the Meyer group
C/2007 F5    Kreutz  T. Hoffman
C/2007 G2    Kreutz  T. Hoffman
C/2007 H4    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2007 H5    Kreutz  R. Kracht

Official SOHO comets: 1282. (MPEC 2007-K65, MPEC 2007-K66, MPEC 2007-K68MPEC 2007-K69

2007 May 26

New Discovery!: T. Lovejoy (Thornlands, Queensland, Australia) reports his discovery of a new comet on May 26, in the course of his survey with a DSLR (200-mm f/2.8). The 13^m comet was confirmed by J. Drummond (Gisborne, New Zealand) and R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring). No orbit is yet available for comet 2007 K5. Additional accurate astrometry is needed. The comet is close to the sun and a southern hemisphere object. Preliminary orbital calculations indicate that the comet may have already passed perihelion and that its visibility condition will not improve greatly. This is the second amateur comet discovery of 2007, after C/2007 E2 (Lovejoy). Search ephemerides can be generated at the NEO Confirmation Page. (IAUC 8840, subscription required)

2007 May 26

New Discovery!: An apparently asteoridal object, discovered on May 18, 2007, in the course of the Mt. Lemmon survey has been found to be cometary by M. Tichy and J. Ticha (Klet), G. Sostero (Remanzacco) and R. Robb (Univ. of Victoria) after posting on the NEO Confirmation Page. The first and very preliminary orbit for the 20^m comet C/2007 K1 (Lemmon) indicates perihelion on Mar. 31, 2007, at about 9.2 AU! This is the 11^th comet for the Mt. Lemmon Survey. (IAUC 8838, subscription required, MPEC 2007-K51)
New Discovery!: A. R. Gibbs reports his discovery of a new comet on May 21, 2007, in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. Following posting on the NEO Confirmation Page the comet was confirmed by R. Robb (Univ. of Victoria). Prediscovery images by LONEOS of May 11, were also found. The first orbit for the 18.5^m comet P/2007 K2 (Gibbs) shows perihelion on Jun. 8, 2007, at about 2.3 AU. The period is about 18.5 years. This is the 46^th comet for the Catalina Sky Survey. (IAUC 8838, subscription required, MPEC 2007-K52)
New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object discovered by G. J. Garradd on May 23, 2007, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey has been found to be cometary by R. H. McNaught by co-adding follow-up images taken at Siding Spring. Prediscovery images by the same survey of Apr. 18, 2007, were also found. The 18.5^m comet C/2007 K3 (Siding Spring) will pass perihelion on Apr. 21, 2008, at about 2.1 AU. The comet may reach 13^m. This is the 34^th comet for the Siding Spring Survey. (IAUC 8839, subscription required, MPEC 2007-K56)
New Discovery!: A. R. Gibbs reports his discovery of another new comet on May 25, 2007, in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. Following posting on the NEO Confirmation Page the comet was confirmed by R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring) and R. E. Hill (Mt. Lemmon). The first orbit for the 18^m comet C/2007 K4 (Gibbs) shows perihelion on Nov. 12, 2007, at about 2.9 AU. This is the 47^th comet for the Catalina Sky Survey. (IAUC 8839, subscription required, MPEC 2007-K57)

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2007 A6    Meyer   T. Hoffman     74^th member of the Meyer group
C/2007 B4    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 B5    Kreutz  W. Xu
C/2007 B6    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 C3    Kreutz  M. Uchina
C/2007 C4    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 C5    Kreutz  H. Su 
C/2007 C6    Kreutz  B. Zhou

Official SOHO comets: 1262. (MPEC 2007-K53, MPEC 2007-K54)

2007 May 25

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2006 Y10   Kreutz  T. Hoffman
C/2006 Y11   Kreutz  M. Mazzucato
C/2006 Y12   Kreutz? R. Kracht      possible non-group comet
C/2006 Y13   Kreutz  W. Xu
C/2006 Y14   Kreutz  R. Kracht
C/2006 Y15   Kreutz  W. Xu
C/2006 Y16   Kreutz  A. Watson 
C/2006 Y17   Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 A4    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2007 A5    Kreutz  H. Su

Official SOHO comets: 1254. (MPEC 2007-K46, MPEC 2007-K46)

2007 May 14

New Discovery!: An apparent asteroidal object, discovered on May 11, 2007, in the course of the LINEAR survey and designated 2007 JA₂₁ has been found to be cometary in follow-up observations by Q.-z. Ye (Lulin Observatory), J. G. Ries (McDonald Observatory) and L. Donato, M. Gonano, V. Gonano, E. Guido, and G. Sostero (Remanzacco). The 19^m comet C/2007 JA₂₁ (LINEAR) just passed perihelion according to the preliminary orbit on May 11, 2007, at about 5.5 AU. This is the 177^th comet for LINEAR. (IAUC 8837, subscription required, MPEC 2007-J52, MPEC 2007-J55)
Further astrometry for comet 2007 H1 indicates that it is of short period. Comet P/2007 H1 (McNaught) will pass perihelion on Aug. 8, 2007, at about 2.3 AU. The period is about 8 years. (MPEC 2007-J35)

2007 May 03

E. Guido and G. Sostero (Castellammare di Stabia) report that remote CCD observations at Biggera Waters (Queensland, Australia) show a coma for the Mt. Lemmon discovery 2006 WD₄ (cf. MPEC 2006-W61, MPC 189005). The now about 14^m comet C/2006 WD₄ (Lemmon) passed perihelion on Apr. 28, 2007, at about 0.6 AU. Already in December 2006, D. J. Tholen remarked about CCD observations by F. Bernardi with the 2.24-m University of Hawaii reflector that its CCD trail was wider than the trails of two dozen stars nearby and that further observations should be done as the object approaches the sun. (CBET 952, subscription required, MPEC 2006-W61, MPEC 2007-J12)