News - April 2007

2007 April 25

New Discovery!: G. J. Garradd reports his discovery of a new comet on Apr. 22, 2007, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page N. Teamo and S. F. Hönig (Punaauia) confirmed the cometary nature of the 17.5^m object. Prediscovery images by the same survey of Mar. 28, 2007, were also found. Comet P/2007 H3 (Garradd) will pass perihelion on Aug. 15, 2007, at about 1.8 AU. The period is about 6.5 years. This is the 33^rd comet for the Siding Spring Survey. (IAUC 8833, subscription required, MPEC 2007-H55)

2007 April 20

New Discovery!: R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a new comet on Apr. 17, 2007, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page G. Hug (Scranton), E. Guido and G. Sostero (remotely from Mayhill) and N. Teamo and S. F. Hönig (Punaauia) were able to confirm the cometary nature. The 16^m comet C/2007 H1 (McNaught) will pass perihelion according to the first and preliminary orbit on Jun. 15, 2007, at about 2.6 AU. This is the 32^nd comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 33^rd for McNaught, who is now the person with the most named comets. (IAUC 8830, subscription required, MPEC 2007-H32)
New Discovery!: B. A. Skiff (Lowell Observatory) reports his discovery of a new comet on Apr. 19, 2007, in the course of the LONEOS survey. After placement on the NEO Confirmation Page many observers were able to confirm the cometary nature: L. Bittesini, G. Lombardi, E. Pettarin, F. Piani, and G. Cralli (Farra d'Isonzo), A. Knöfel (Schönbrunn), L. Donato, M. Gonano, V. Gonano, E. Guido, and G. Sostero (Remanzacco), J. J. Müller (Irmtraut), P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford), J. Lacruz (Madrid), M. Pietschnig (Vienna), G. Hug (Scranton) and R. E. Hill (Mount Lemmon). The first and preliminary orbit for the 18.5^m comet C/2007 H2 (Skiff) shows perihelion already on Feb. 17, 2007, at about 1.4 AU. This is the 42^nd comet for the LONEOS survey and the 16^th named comet for Skiff. (IAUC 8831, subscription required, MPEC 2007-H33)

2007 April 12

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object, discovered on Apr. 10, 2007, in the course of the LINEAR survey has been found to be cometary after posting on the NEO Confirmation Page by G. Sostero and E. Guido (Castellammare di Stabia, remotely near Mayhill), E. Guido, A. Lepardo, and Sostero (Remanzacco), R. Ligustri (Udine) and P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford). The 17.5^m comet C/2007 G1 (LINEAR) will pass perihelion according to the first and preliminary orbit on Mar. 08, 2009, at about 2.5 AU. This is the 176^th comet for LINEAR. (IAUC 8828, subscription required, MPEC 2007-G37)

2007 April 10

Recovery!: E. J. Christensen reports the recovery of comet P/1999 J5 (LINEAR) on Mar. 09, by him and on Mar. 10, by R. A. Kowalski in the course of the Mt. Lemmon survey. While the comet appeared possibly slightly elongated in the first night, it looked stellar with no tail in the second night. The brightness was about 21^m. G. V. Williams (Minor Planet Center) was able to identify further Mt. Lemmon observations of Apr. 07, by Kowalski. Comet P/2007 E3 (LINEAR) will pass its perihelion on Oct. 06, 2008, at about 3.7 AU. (IAUC 8827, subscription required)