News - February 2009

2009 February 21

Recovery!: J. V. Scotti (LPL) reports his recovery of periodic comet P/2001 CV₈ (LINEAR) on Feb. 19, and 20, 2009, using the Spacewatch 1.8-m reflector. The 20.5 - 21^m comet P/2009 D1 (LINEAR) already passed perihelion on Oct. 10, 2008, at about 2.2 AU. The period is about 7.7 years. The correction to the prediction in the 2008/2009 Comet Handbook is Delta-T -0.24 day. (IAUC 9021, subscription required, MPEC 2009-D39)
New permanent comet numberings:
213P/Van Ness = P/2009 B3 = P/2005 R2
214P/LINEAR = P/2009 B4 = P/2002 CW₁₃₄
215P/NEAT = P/2009 B5 = P/2002 O8
(IAUC 9020, subscription required)

2009 February 10

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2008 V1    Kreutz  R. Matson
C/2008 V2    Meyer   R. Kracht      96^th member of the Meyer group
C/2008 V3    Kreutz  R. Matson
C/2008 V4    Kreutz  R. Matson
C/2008 V5    ---     J. Ruan
C/2008 V6    Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2008 W2    Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2008 W3    Kreutz  A. Kubczak
C/2008 W4    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2008 W5    Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2008 W6    Kreutz  Z. Jin
C/2008 W7    Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2008 W8    Kreutz  E. Banach
C/2008 W9    Kreutz  R. Kracht
C/2008 W10   Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2008 W11   Kreutz  E. Banach

Official SOHO comets: 1571 (MPEC 2009-C46, MPEC 2009-C47, MPEC 2009-C56, MPEC 2009-C57)

2009 February 02

Recoveries!: G. Hug (Scranton) reports his recoveries of three comets:
Comet P/2005 R2 (van Ness) was recovered on Jan. 31, and Feb. 01, 2009, as a 20-21^m object. The orbit for comet P/2009 B3 (van Ness) indicates perihelion on Jun. 16, 2011, at about 2.12 AU. The period is about 6.33 years. The correction to the prediction on MPC 62880 is -0.06 day. (IAUC 9017, subscription required, MPEC 2009-C03)
Comet P/2002 CW₁₃₄ (LINEAR) was recovered also on Jan. 31, and Feb. 01, 2009, at about 19-20^m. Comet P/2009 B4 (LINEAR) passed perihelion already on Jan. 5, 2009, at about 1.84 AU. The period is about 6.85 years. The correction to the prediction on MPC 56802 is -0.32 day. (IAUC 9017, subscription required, MPEC 2009-C04)
Comet P/2002 O8 (NEAT) was recovered on Jan. 22, and Feb. 02, 2009, at about 20^m. P/2009 B5 (NEAT) will pass perihelion on Jun. 8, 2010, at about 3.21 AU. The period is about 8.07 years. The correction to the prediction on MPC 59599 is -0.34 day. (IAUC 9018, subscription required, MPEC 2009-C19)

2009 February 01

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object discovered on Jan. 29, 2009, in the course of the LINEAR Survey has been found cometary by several observers after posting on the NEO Confirmation Page by F. Hormuth (Calar Alto), J. Young (Table Mountain), and R. S. McMillan (Spacewatch). Further reports were also received by L. Buzzi (Schiaparelli Obs.) and M. Meyer (remotely from Tahiti, image). According to the first and preliminary orbit comet C/2009 B2 (LINEAR) will pass perihelion on Mar. 10, 2009, at about 2.3 AU. This is the 189^th comet for LINEAR. (IAUC 9016, subscription required, MPEC 2009-B91)