News - June 2001

06/27/2001

X. Leprette reported another Kreutz comet fragment in LASCO/C2 and C3 real time images. Comet C/2001 M8 (SOHO) is the 337^th official SOHO comet discovery. (MPEC 2001-M46)

06/26/2001

K. Cernis reported a Kreutz comet fragment in LASCO/C2 and C3 real time images. Comet C/2001 M7 (SOHO) is the 336^th official SOHO comet discovery. (MPEC 2001-M44)

06/24/2001

Six additional SOHO comet fragments received an orbit and a designation: C/1997 W3 (SOHO) is an archival find by X. Leprette, C/2001 M2 (SOHO) and C/2001 M4 (SOHO) were detected by M. Oates, C/2001 M3 (SOHO) by S. Hönig, C/2001 M5 (SOHO) by X.-M. Zhou, and C/2001 M6 (SOHO) by T. Scarmato. All comets are members of the Kreutz group and were found in LASCO/C2 and C3 real-time images. (MPEC 2001-M33, IAUC 7650) The SOHO score is now at 335 officially designated comets.

06/23/2001

M. Busch, A. Seib, F. Hormuth, and R. Stoss (Starkenburg-Sternwarte, Heppenheim); and A. Gnädig and A. Doppler (Archenhold-Sternwarte, Berlin) report the recovery of comet P/1987 Q3 (= 1987w = 1987 XVII) as P/2001 M1 (Helin) on CCD images taken with the EOCA 1.52-m reflector at Calar Alto on June 20, and 21. The correction to the prediction by B. G. Marsden (MPC 42160) is about -1.0 day. It is the first observed return since the discovery apparition of 1987. The comet will pass its perihelion in September 2001, at about 2.5 AU and should not become brighter than 17^m. (IAUC 7648)
Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) has faded from its recent outburst (cf. news of June 14). Recent brightness estimates place the comet at about 4^m - 4.5^m.

06/18/2001

Six more SOHO comet fragments received an orbit and a designation: C/1997 K7 (SOHO) is an archival find by M. Oates, C/2001 L5 (SOHO), C/2001 L6 (SOHO) and C/2001 L7 (SOHO) were also detected by M. Oates, C/2001 L8 (SOHO) by X. Leprette, and C/2001 L9 (SOHO) by T. Scarmato. All comets are members of the Kreutz group and were found in LASCO/C2 real-time images. (MPEC 2001-M06) The SOHO score is now at 329 officially designated comets.

06/14/2001

Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) experienced another outburst in brightness according to observations by several observers from the southern hemisphere. The comet is easily visible to the naked eye even with moonlight present. The brightness is estimated to be about 3^m - 4^m with a tail of about 4° maximum length. The chances are increasing for a fine naked eye (but not spectacular) comet for mid-European observers with the beginning of July. The comet will reach its closest distance to earth at the end of June with about 0.2 AU.

06/07/2001

Another three SOHO comets received designations and orbits: C/2001 K9 (SOHO) was detected by M. Boschat; C/2001 L3 (SOHO) by S. Hönig; and C/2001 L4 (SOHO) by T. Scarmato. Again, all are members of the Kreutz group and were found in C2 real-time images, only C/2001 L3 was also detected in C3. (MPEC 2001-L24) Now the total of officially designated SOHO comet discoveries is 323.

06/06/2001

Five more SOHO comets received designations and orbits: Comet C/2001 K6 (SOHO) was detected by M. Oates, C/2001 K7 (SOHO) by K. Cernis, C/2001 K8 (SOHO) by T. Scarmato, C/2001 L1 (SOHO) by X. Leprette and C/2001 L2 (SOHO) again by M. Oates. All are members of the Kreutz group and were found in C2 real-time images. (MPEC 2001-L09, -L21) This brings the total of officially designated SOHO comet discoveries up to 320.