News - September 2008

2008 September 30

New Discovery!: A. Boattini reports his discovery of a new comet on Sep. 29, 2008, in the course of the Mt. Lemmon Survey. After the object was placed on the NEO Confirmation Page D. T. Durig (Sewanee), E. Guido, G. Sostero, and P. Camilleri (remotely near Mayhill), and J. Young (Table Mountain) confirmed the cometary nature. The first and preliminary orbit for the 18^m comet C/2008 S3 (Boattini) indicates perihelion on Apr. 4, 2011, at about 3.1 AU. This is the 21^st comet for the Mt. Lemmon Survey. (IAUC 8986, subscription required, MPEC 2008-S96)

2008 September 28

R. Kracht (Elmshorn) has successfully linked the SOHO sunskirter comets C/2001 D1 (SOHO), C/2004 X7 (SOHO) and C/2008 S2 (SOHO). The linked orbit by B. G. Marsden (MPC) indicates a perihelion distance of 0.047 AU, an inclination of 20° and a period of about 3.78 years.
This reduces the SOHO comet count by 2. (MPEC 2008-S82)

2008 September 27

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2008 N8    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2008 N9    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2008 N10   ---     R. Kracht
C/2008 N11   Kreutz  H. Su
C/2008 O5    Kreutz  B. Zhou
C/2008 S2    ---     R. Kracht      related to C/2001 D1 and C/2004 X7

Official SOHO comets: 1514 (MPEC 2008-S68, MPEC 2008-S81)

2008 September 26

S. Nakano suggested already in 2004 (Nakanao Note 2070), that comet P/2001 X2 (Scotti)- now P/202P/Scotti - is identical with an asteroidal object recorded by E. C. Slipher and C. W. Tombaugh on Nov. 27, and Dec. 3, 1929, which was published by H. L. Giclas in 1940, and designated 1929 WW. However, the November 27 position did not fit as perfect as the position of December. B. A. Skiff has now re-examined this position which confirms the linkage with 202P. Skiff adds that on both 1929 plates the object looks weakly cometary. (IAUC 8981, subscription required)

Further SOHO comets (all named SOHO):

Designation  Group   Discoverer     Notes
C/2008 N6    Kreutz  H. Su
C/2008 N7    Kreutz  T. Hoffman
C/2008 O4    ---     M. Kusiak
C/2008 R7    Kracht  R. Kracht      33^rd member of the Kracht group, = C/2002 S4, 5, 11 ??

Official SOHO comets: 1508 (MPEC 2008-S67)

2008 September 25

R. Kracht (Elmshorn) has identified another short-periodic sunskirter comet among the SOHO comets. C/1999 X3 (SOHO), C/2004 E2 (SOHO) and C/2008 K10 (SOHO) are one and the same comet. The linked orbit by B. G. Marsden (MPC) indicates a perihelion distance of 0.048 AU, an inclination of 6° and a period of about 4.22 years. The comet passed 0.058 AU from Earth on Jan. 13, 2000. S. F. Hönig (Bonn) remarks that this comet falls in a group controlled by the 1:3 resonance with Jupiter, similar to the Alinda group of minor planets.
This reduces the SOHO comet count by 2. (MPEC 2008-S49)

2008 September 24

New Discovery!: R. E. Hill reports his discovery of a new comet on Sep. 23, 2008, in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. K. Smalley (Minor Planet Center) was able to identify the comet with an apparently asteroidal object discovered on August 25, in the course of the LINEAR survey, which was then designated 2008 QP₂₀. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page G. Muler (Lanzarate), J. E. McGaha (Tucson), H. Devore and R. Holmes (Charleston), E. Guido, G. Sostero, and P. Camilleri (remotely near Mayhill), D. T. Durig (Sewanee) and A. C. Gilmore and P. M. Kilmartin (Mt. John) were able to confirm the cometary nature of the 17.5^m object. The first orbit for comet P/2008 QP₂₀ (LINEAR-Hill) indicates perihelion on Nov. 2, 2008, at about 1.7 AU. This is the 186^th comet for LINEAR and the 62^nd for Catalina. (IAUC 8979, subscription required, MPEC 2008-S48)
Further astrometry of comet 2008 R1 show this to be of short period. The comet moves in an orbit similar to that of a main belt minor planet. P/2008 R1 (Garradd) already passed perihelion on Jul. 25, 2008, at about 1.8 AU. The period is about 4.5 years. It seems that this object belongs to the small group of "main belt comets". (MPEC 2008-S46)

2008 September 23

Additional two components of comet 205P/Giacobini have been discovered by D. T. Durig and K. N. Hatchett (Cordell-Lorenz Observatory, Sewanee). The first and brightest (4^m fainter than the main comet) was observed on Sep. 17, 19, and 22. The second component (5^m fainter) was observed on Sep. 19 and 22. The discoverers have posted images and animations. Ephemerides for these two objects can be obtained by applying a correction for the time of perihelion of +0.014 and +0.133, respectively, to the orbital elements of MPC 63822. (IAUC 8978, subscription required)

2008 September 22

Further observations of comet 2008 S1 showed this to be a comet of short-period. Additionally, a minor planet discovered by A. Boattini in the course of the Catalina survey on May 2, 2008, and named 2008 JK was identified with the comet by B. G. Marsden. The new orbit for comet P/2008 S1 (Catalina-McNaught) indicates perihelion on Oct. 1, 2008, at about 1.2 AU. The period is about 6.8 years. (MPEC 2008-S26, IAUC 8978, subscription required))

2008 September 19

New Discovery!: R. H. McNaught reports his discovery of a new comet on Sep. 17, 2008, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page D. Mayes and J. Young (Table Mountain), E. Guido, G. Sostero, and P. Camilleri (remotely from Moorook), and A. Herring and R. Holmes (Charleston) were able to confirm the cometary nature of the 16.5^m object. The first and preliminary orbit for comet C/2008 S1 (McNaught) indicates perihelion on Sep. 21, 2008, at about 1.4 AU. This is the 54^th comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 44^th for McNaught. (IAUC 8977, subscription required, MPEC 2008-S10)

2008 September 18

New permanent numberings for periodic comets:
201P/LONEOS (P/2001 R1 = P/2008 Q4)
202P/Scotti (P/2001 X2 = P/2008 R2)
203P/Korlevic (P/1999 WJ₇ = P/2008 R4)
204P/LINEAR-NEAT (P/2001 TU₈₀ = P/2008 R5)
205P/Giacobini (P/1896 R2 = P/2008 R6)
(IAUC 8976, subscription required)

2008 September 11

Rediscovery!: On Sep. 10, 2008, an apparent new comet was discovered by Japanese amateurs K. Itagaki (Teppo-cho, Yamagata) and H. Kaneda (Minami-ku, Sapporo) on CCD patrol images obtained with a 21-cm reflector. They subsequently confirmed the 13.5^m comet using a 60-cm reflector. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page the comet was confirmed by Y. Ikari (Moriyama, Shiga-ken), K. Kadota (Ageo, Saitama-ken), V. Gonano and E. Guido (Remanzacco), R. Ligustri (Talmassons), J. J. Gomez (Gandia), J. A. Henriquez (Tenerife), P. Camilleri and G. Sostero (remotely at Catania) and F. Castellani (Monte Baldo).
M. Meyer (Limburg) suggested that the comet is identical with the long lost periodic comet P/1896 R2 (Giacobini), which was last seen in January 1897, based on predictions and the available new astrometry. This was then confirmed by S. Nakano (Sumoto), who also noted that the comet has made 17 revolutions since then and passed 0.51 AU from Earth in September 1962, and 0.81 AU from Jupiter in January 1992. The current orbit for comet P/2008 R6 (Giacobini) shows perihelion on Sep. 10, 2008, at about 1.5 AU. The period is about 6.7 years. The comet seems to have been rediscovered during an outburst. (IAUC 8975, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R60)

2008 September 10

Recovery!: G. V. Williams (MPC) has identified recovery observations of comet P/1999 WJ₇ (Korlevic) obtained on Sep. 3, 2008, by T. Bressi in the course of the Spacewatch survey. Upon a request by B. G. Marsden for confirmation, J. V. Scotti (Spacewatch) obtained observations on Sep. 9, which confirmed the identification. The 20^m comet P/2008 R4 (Korlevic) will pass perihelion on Feb. 8, 2010, at about 3.2 AU. The correction to the prediction on MPC 59598 is Delta T = -0.35 day. The period is about 10 years. (IAUC 8974, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R53)
Recovery!: G. V. Williams (MPC) has also identified recovery observations of comet P/2001 TU₈₀ (LINEAR-NEAT) obtained on Sep. 8, 2008, by Scotti in the course of the Spacewatch survey. Upon request Scotti obtained observations on Sep. 9, which confirmed the identification. Comet P/2008 R5 (LINEAR-NEAT) will pass perihelion on Dec. 9, 2008, at about 1.9 AU. The correction to the prediction on MPC 54171 is Delta T = -0.3 day. The period is about 7.0 years. (IAUC 8974, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R54)

2008 September 08

New Discovery!: An apparently asteroidal object discovered on Sep. 7, 2008, in the course of the LINEAR Survey has been found cometary after posting on the NEO Confirmation Page by E. Pettarin (Farra d'Isonzo), R. Holmes (Charleston), G. Hug (Scranton), J. Young (Table Mountain), and by P. Camilleri, G. Sostero, and E. Guido (remotely at Trunkey). The first and preliminary orbit for comet C/2008 R3 (LINEAR) shows perihelion on Nov. 26, 2008, at about 1.8 AU. This is the 185^th comet for LINEAR. (IAUC 8973, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R51)

2008 September 06

Recovery!: On Sep. 5, J. V. Scotti (Spacewatch, Kitt Peak) recovered comet P/2001 X1 (Scotti) at a magnitude of 20.5^m. Later, incidental observations in the course of the Mt. Lemmon survey of Sep. 13, 2007, at about 21.5^m and of Oct. 8, 2007, at about 21.7^m were also found. Comet P/2008 R2 (Scotti) will pass perihelion on Feb. 7, 2009, at about 2.5 AU. The correction to the prediction on MPC 56802 is Delta T = -0.15 day. The period is about 7.3 years. (IAUC 8971, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R30)

2008 September 04

New Discovery!: G. J. Garradd reports his discovery of a new comet on Sep. 02, 2008, in the course of the Siding Spring Survey. After posting on the NEO Confirmation Page G. Sostero, P. Camilleri, and E. Guido (remotely from Grove Creek-Skylive Observatory) and C. Jacques and E. Pimentel (Belo Horizonte) were able to confirm the cometary nature of the 18.5^m object. The first and preliminary orbit for comet C/2008 R1 (Garradd) indicates perihelion on Nov. 08, 2008, at about 1.7 AU. This is the 53^rd comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 12^th for Garradd. (IAUC 8969, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R22)

2008 September 03

Recovery!: On August 31, M. Jäger (Stixendorf) recovered comet P/2001 R1 (LONEOS) using a 20-cm reflector and CCD. The 16.5^m comet showed a 3' tail. The recovery was confirmed by G. Sostero, E. Guido and P. Camilleri (Skylive Observatory) on September 1. Comet P/2008 Q4 (LONEOS) already passed perihelion on Aug. 4, 2008, at about 1.35 AU. The correction to the prediction on MPC 54169 is Delta T = -0.42 day. The period is about 6.4 years. (CBET 1490, subscription required, MPEC 2008-R09)