News - August

2006 August 31

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object discovered on Aug. 29, 2006, in the course of the LONEOS survey has been found to be cometary by several observers after posting on the NEO Confirmation Page. P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford), J. Young (Table Mountain) and L. Buzzi (Varese) reported a small coma and a short tail of the 18^m object. The preliminary orbit for comet P/2006 Q2 (LONEOS) shows perihelion on Sep. 2, 2006, at about 1.3 AU. The period is about 5.9 years. This is the 38^th comet discovery by LONEOS. (IAUC 8743, subscription neccessary, MPEC 2006-Q67)
The updated orbit for comet C/2006 Q1 (McNaught) increases the perihelion distance to 2.7 AU. This reduces the maximum brightness to maybe 10^m mainly for southern hemisphere observers. (IAUC 8742, subscription neccessary, MPEC 2006-Q50)

2006 August 23

New Discovery!: R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a new comet on Aug. 20, 2006, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page S. Bruzzone (Los Molinos), C. Jacques and E. Pimentel (Belo Horizonte), and J. Young (Table Mountain) were able to confirm this object. The first and very preliminary orbit for the 17^m comet C/2006 Q1 (McNaught) shows perihelion in March 2008, at about 1.6 AU. If this will be confirmed then the comet might be an easy binocular object in 2007/08. This is the 28^th comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 32^nd for McNaught who shares now number one with Carolyn and the late Eugene Shoemaker in the number of named comet discoveries.
(CBET 601, subscription neccessary, MPEC 2006-Q22)

2006 August 11

With new astrometry the orbit for comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) has changed dramatically. It will now reach perihelion on Jan. 11, 2007, at about 0.17 AU! The comet will approach the sun at small elongations and may be visible with SOHO around perihelion. It will then turn south and may be visible as a binocular object in the southern hemisphere. The projected maximum brightness might be 0^m at perihelion, however, the absolute brightness is quite faint and it may well be that the comet disintegrates before reaching perihelion. (MPEC 2006-P43)

2006 August 09

New Discovery!: R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a new comet on Aug. 07, 2006, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page C. Jacques and E. Pimentel (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) were able to confirm the cometary nature. The first and preliminary orbit for the 17^m comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) shows perihelion on June 17, 2007, at about 1.6 AU. This is the 27^th comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 31^st for McNaught.
The comet might reach 10^m in April 2007, being circumpolar for mid-European observers. (IAUC 8737, subscription neccessary, MPEC 2006-P31)

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2006 O3    Kreutz  T. Hoffman
C/2006 O4    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2006 O5    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2006 O6    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2006 O7    Kreutz  H. Su          
C/2006 O8    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2006 P2    Kreutz  A. Kubczak
C/2006 P3    Kreutz  A. Kubczak
C/2006 P4    Kreutz  S. Yuan
C/2006 P5    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2006 P6    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2006 P7    Kreutz  A. Kubczak     1000^th SOHO Kreutz comet

Official SOHO comets: 1185. (MPEC 2006-P28, MPEC 2006-P32, MPEC 2006-P33)

2006 August 04

Independent reports of cometary activity of the asteroidal Siding Spring Survey discovery 2006 HR₃₀ have been received from S. C. Lowry and A. Fitzsimmons (Department of Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, Belfast) with the 3.5-m New Technology Telescope at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), La Silla, and by M. Hicks and K. Lawrence (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) with the Palomar 5-m Hale telescope. The object was discovered on Apr. 20, 2006. Prediscovery images of 2005, were also found as well as an unconfirmed single night detection of Mar. 05, 1986. Comet P/2006 HR₃₀ (Siding Spring) will pass perihelion on Jan. 02, 2007, at about 1.2 AU. The period is about 22 years. If the comet will increase its activity it may reach 11^m in January 2007. (IAUC 8735, subscription neccessary, MPEC 2006-H40, MPEC 2006-P09)

2006 August 02

New Discovery!: G. J. Garradd reports his discovery of a new comet on July 30, 2006, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. The first and preliminary orbit for comet C/2006 O2 (Garradd) shows perihelion on Oct. 5, 2006, at about 1.6 AU. The 17^m comet won't become much brighter. This is the 25^th comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 2^nd for Garradd. (IAUC 8734, subscription neccessary, MPEC 2006-P05)