News - October 2004

2004 October 26

69P/Taylor has been recovered by K. Kadota (Ageo) as a 17^m object. The comet was observed to have split in 1915 and at its last apparition it experienced two outbursts. The predicted maximum brightness will be reached in December with maybe 15^m. (MPEC 2004-U38)
Comet C/2004 R2 (ASAS) has not yet been observed after its perihelion which was observable in SOHO/C3 imagery. It seems to have faded faster than expected and now seems to be fainter than at least 14^m.

2004 October 22

On Oct. 16, 2004, H. Otterstedt detected a comet in SOHO/C3 images which does not belong to any known comet group. Comet C/2004 U2 (SOHO) brightened fast to maybe about 7.5^m and then faded suddenly from view only two days later. Official SOHO score: 838 comets. (MPEC 2004-U26)

2004 October 21

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object discovered on Oct. 19 by the LINEAR survey has been found to be cometary on confirmation images by A. Knöfel (Schönbrunn) and by P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford). Prediscovery images of Oct. 16, by the LONEOS survey were also found. The 18.5^m comet C/2004 U1 (LINEAR) will pass perihelion in early December at about 2.7 AU. This is LINEARs 147^th comet discovery. (IAUC 8421, MPEC 2004-U25)
New Discovery!: On Oct. 12, R. H. McNaught discovered an object in the course of the Siding Spring Survey which was then posted on the NEO Confirmation Page. G. Masi, F. Mallia, and R. Wilcox were then able detect a small coma in CCD images taken at Las Campanas with the 0.36-m 'SoTIE' reflector. The 17.5^m comet C/2004 T3 seems to be a very distant object. The first and preliminary orbit indicates a perihelion distance of about 9.6 AU which will be reached in November 2004. (IAUC 8421, MPEC 2004-U24)

2004 October 17

Rainer Kracht found C/2004 T2 (SOHO), the 50^th known member of the Meyer group of near sun comets. Official SOHO score: 837 comets. (IAUC 8419, MPEC 2004-T76)
Further SOHO Kreutz group comets: C/2004 P6 (SOHO) (J. Danaher), C/2004 P7 (SOHO) (T. Hoffman), C/2004 Q3 (SOHO) (T. Hoffman), C/2004 Q4 (SOHO) (J. Sachs), C/2004 Q5 (SOHO) (X. Leprette), C/2004 Q6 (SOHO) (T. Hoffman), C/2004 R4 (SOHO) (H. Su), C/2004 R5 (SOHO) (J. Sachs), C/2004 R6 (SOHO) (H. Su) and C/2004 R7 (SOHO) (K. Battams). (IAUC 8419, MPEC 2004-T66, MPEC 2004-T67)

2004 October 11

Comet C/2003 S4 (LINEAR) has split into two main fragments. The discovery by R. Ferrando (Pla D'Arguines) was now confirmed in MPEC 2004-T44. The comet already passed perihelion in May 2004, at about 3.9 AU. It has a period of about 250 years. (MPEC 2004-T44)
Two recently discovered comets are visually observable with large telescopes: C/2004 S1 (van Ness) is visible at about 13^m but seems to be a very diffuse and hard to observe. P/2004 T1 (LINEAR-NEAT) is also visible at about 13.5^m. (Astrosite)

2004 October 06

New Discovery!: On Oct. 05, the NEAT survey reported the discovery of a 15^m comet. The same object was also observed by the LINEAR survey without mentioning the cometary appearance. Additionally pre-discovery observations by LINEAR of Sep. 21, were found, too. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page numerous observers confirmed the cometary nature. Comet P/2004 T1 (LINEAR-NEAT) will pass perihelion in November 2004, at about 1.7 AU. The period is about 6.5 years. This is the 146^th comet discovery by LINEAR and the 46^th by NEAT.
The comet may be as bright as 13^m and thus in the visual reach of large instruments. (IAUC 8416, MPEC 2004-T18)

2004 October 05

Comet C/2004 R2 (ASAS) entered the SOHO/LASCO C3-FOV today in the image of 10:21 UT. It looks clearly brighter than C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) which will be passed in only 2 degree distance around Oct. 07. There is still a possibility that C/2004 R2 won't survive its perihelion passage.