News - February 2006

2006 February 28

R. A. Tucker (Tucson, Feb. 20.4 and 22.4 UT) and E. J. Christensen (Feb. 24.5 and Feb. 25.5) have detected a new component of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann. It is about 17.5^m and seems not to be identical to components E or F according to Z. Sekanina (JPL), while S. Nakano has succeeded in linking it with component E. The new component, denoted G, has an orbit consistent with that of component B except for the perihelion time T = 2006 June 8.11 TT (B has T = June 7.94, and 'C' has T = June 6.95). Component C is already visible visually at about 12.5^m. (IAUC 8679, subscription required)

2006 February 26

Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak has been recovered by the LINEAR (Feb. 03) and Mt. Lemmon (Feb. 24, and 25) surveys. The comet, which is well known for its large amplitude brightness surges will pass perihelion on June 11, 2006, at about 1.04 AU. It may reach 10^m or even brighter, depending on its hardly predictable brightness behaviour. (MPEC 2006-D45)

2006 February 24

New Discovery!: R. Hill reports the discovery of a new comet on Feb. 22, 2006, in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page G. Hug and D. Tibbets (Eskridge), G. Hug (Scranton), and C. Hergenrother (Catalina Station) were able to confirm the cometary nature of the 19.5^m object. The first and preliminary orbit for comet P/2006 D1 (Hill) shows perihelion already on Nov. 06, 2005, at about 1.7 AU. The period is about 14 years. This is Catalina's 29^th comet discovery. (IAUC 8678, subscription required, MPEC 2006-D38)

2006 February 23

The Committee on Small Bodies Nomenclature has agreed to give the comet P/2000 EC₉₈ the same name as the centaur minor planet (60558) Echeclus. The permanent number is 174P. 174P/Echeclus is the second comet that carries the name of a minor planet after 95P/Chiron. P/2000 C1 = P/2006 A3 (Hergenrother) has received the permanent number 175P. (IAUC 8677, subscription required)

2006 February 18

Further SOHO comet discoveries (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer  Notes
C/2005 Y7    Kreutz  R. Kracht 
C/2005 Y8    Meyer   R. Kracht   65^th member of the Meyer group
C/2005 Y9    Kreutz  S. Farmer
C/2005 Y10   Kreutz  Q. Ye

Official SOHO comets: 1085. (MPEC 2006-D03)

2006 February 10

Further SOHO comet discoveries (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer  Notes
C/2005 W16   Kreutz  R. Matson 
C/2005 W17   Kreutz  H. Su
C/2005 X2    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2005 X3    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2005 X4    Kreutz  K. Cernis 
C/2005 X5    Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2005 X6    Kreutz  J. Ruan
C/2005 X7    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2005 X8    Kreutz  Q. Ye
C/2005 X9    Kreutz  R. Matson
C/2005 Y3    Kreutz  Q. Ye
C/2005 Y4    Kreutz  S. Hönig
C/2005 Y5    Kreutz  K. Battams
C/2005 Y6    Kreutz  K. Battams

Official SOHO comets: 1081. (MPEC 2006-C59, MPEC 2006-C60, MPEC 2006-C61)

2006 February 09

Further SOHO comet discoveries (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer  Notes
C/1996 X3    Kracht  R. Kracht 
C/1996 X4    Kracht  R. Kracht
C/1996 X5    Kracht  R. Kracht   26^th-28^th member of the Kracht group
C/1997 B5    Marsden R. Kracht
C/1997 B6    Marsden R. Kracht 
C/1997 B7    Marsden R. Kracht   24^th-26^th member of the Marsden group

Official SOHO comets: 1067. (MPEC 2006-C49)

2006 February 08

An apparently asteroidal object, discovered on Sep. 30, 2005, in the course of the LONEOS survey and designated 2005 SB₂₁₆, has been found to be cometary by S. Foglia, G. Galli, S. Minuto, and D.Crespi (Novara Veveri) on Dec. 7, and 29, 2005, and later by L. Buzzi (Varese) on Feb 4, 2006. F. Bernardi, D. J. Tholen, and J. Pittichova (University of Hawaii) also confirmed this object as a comet on Feb. 7, 2006. The 19^m comet P/2005 SB₂₁₆ (LONEOS) will pass perihelion on Feb. 11, 2007, at about 3.8 AU. This is the 37^th comet discovery by LONEOS. (IAUC 8668, subscription required, MPEC 2006-C48)