Electronic Telegram No. 3695
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director: Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University;
20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA 02138; U.S.A.
e-mail: cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.htmlPrepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network
COMET C/2013 V3 (NEVSKI)
Vitali Nevski reports his discovery of a comet with a 60" coma on four
180-s CCD exposures obtained on Nov. 7 (discovery observations tabulated
below) with a 0.2-m f/1.5 reflector (and confirmed with images taken using a
0.4-m f/3 reflector) at the ISON-Kislovodsk observatory near Kislovodsk,
Russia.
2013 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer
Nov. 6.99172 8 58 33.96 + 6 31 00.8 15.1 Nevski
7.00054 8 58 35.44 + 6 31 13.0 15.1 "
7.00941 8 58 37.01 + 6 31 23.5 15.1 "
7.01825 8 58 38.55 + 6 31 35.5 15.1 "
7.04116 8 58 42.58 + 6 32 06.0 "
7.04338 8 58 42.94 + 6 32 08.9 "
7.04708 8 58 43.60 + 6 32 13.5 "
7.06087 8 58 45.97 + 6 32 31.6 15.2 "
7.06383 8 58 46.51 + 6 32 35.1 15.2 "
7.06753 8 58 47.13 + 6 32 40.1 15.2 "
7.07766 8 58 48.91 + 6 32 52.9 15.4 "
7.08137 8 58 49.48 + 6 32 57.9 15.2 "
7.08655 8 58 50.41 + 6 33 04.7 15.4 "
7.09025 8 58 51.03 + 6 33 09.3 15.3 "
After posting on the Minor Planet Center's new PCCP webpage (cf. CBET 3682),
other CCD astrometrists have also commented on the object's cometary
appearance. H. Sato (Tokyo, Japan; remotely with a 0.32-m f/8 astrograph
located near Nerpio, Spain; Nov. 7.1) finds a 1'.5 strongly condensed coma
with no obvious tail on eight stacked 30-s exposures. E. Guido, N. Howes, and
M. Nicolini (remotely with an iTelescope 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph near Mayhill,
NM, U.S.A.; eleven unfiltered 30-s images on Nov. 7.3) note a diffuse coma
about 18" in diameter, elongated toward p.a. 275 deg. R. Ligustri (Udine,
Italy; remotely with a 0.25-m f/3.3 reflector near Mayhill; Nov. 7.4) finds a
very diffuse object with coma of diameter about 40". M. Urbanik (Cadca,
Slovak Republic; remotely with a 0.25-m f/3.4 reflector near Mayhill; Nov. 7.4)
finds a condensed coma 50" in diameter. Erik Bryssinck (Kruibeke, Belgium;
remotely with an iTelescope 0.43-m f/4.5 reflector near Mayhill; Nov. 7.40)
reports a central condensation with a relatively wide coma of size 87" x 57"
and a hint of a tail toward p.a. 281 degrees. W. H. Ryan (Magdalena Ridge
Observatory, 2.4-m f/8.9 reflector; Nov. 7.43-7.46) finds a distinct, bright
coma and a wide tail in p.a. about 270 deg on R-band images. G. Hug (Scranton,
KS, U.S.A.; 0.56-m reflector; Nov. 7.5) writes that the object is an obvious
comet, measuring a coma extension about 30" long toward p.a. about 285 deg.
Fifteen stacked 60-s images taken by R. Holmes (Ashmore, IL, USA; 0.81-m f/4
astrograph; Nov. 7.46-7.47; measured by S. Foglia and six others) reveal a
coma of size 30" x 40", elongated in p.a. 280 deg, with a wide, curved tail
1'30" long in p.a. 275 deg. C. Jacques and E. Pimentel (remotely with a
0.43-m f/4.5 astrograph near Mayhill; Nov. 7.5) finds a 3' coma in ten 60-s
stacked exposures. L. Elenin (Lyubertsy, Russia; remotely with a 0.4-m f/3
reflector at the ISON-NM observatory near Mayhill; Nov. 7.49) writes that
fifteen stacked 60-s images show a coma diameter of about 1'.5, elongated in
p.a. 290 deg.
A. Hale, Cloudcroft, NM, U.S.A., reports total mag 14.0 with a 1'.0
coma using a 0.41-m reflector visually on Nov. 7.39, adding that the comet
is very vague and diffuse; he noted the obvious motion over about an hour.
The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic orbital
elements by G. V. Williams, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2013-V45.
T = 2013 Oct. 23.5851 TT Peri. = 332.7709
Node = 100.8878 2000.0
q = 1.348721 AU Incl. = 29.4415
NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.
(C) Copyright 2013 CBAT
2013 November 8 (CBET 3695) Daniel W. E. Green
