Electronic Telegram No. 163
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


COMET P/2005 L2 (McNAUGHT)
     R. H. McNaught has reported his discovery of a comet (discovery position
below) with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt in the course of the Siding Spring
Survey.   60-s exposures on June 2.6 UT showed the images to appear soft and
probably cometary in reasonably good seeing.  Exposures on June 3.4 showed
the object to be nearly stellar with a 10" narrow tail in p.a. 90 deg.

     2005 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     June  2.55561   13 22 35.46   -47 47 28.6   18.5   McNaught

     The full set of 19 astrometric observations, very preliminary equinox
2000.0 parabolic orbital elements (T = 2005 Sept. 15, Peri. = 313 deg,
Node = 159 deg, i = 152 deg, q = 3.050 AU) and an ephemeris are given on
MPEC 2005-L09.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
      superseded by text appearing later in the formal IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT
2005 June 3                      (CBET 163)               Brian G. Marsden