Electronic Telegram No. 297
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 C/2005 W2 (CHRISTENSEN)
     E. J. Christensen, Catalina Sky Survey, has reported his discovery with
the Survey's 0.68-m Schmidt of a comet (discovery position below) with a
slightly asymmetric 20" coma elongated toward p.a. 230-260 deg.  Following
placement on The NEO Confirmation Page, several observers reported follow-up
observations, notably P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford, Berkshire, England;
0.4-m f/6 Schmidt-Cassegrain) on Nov. 20.8 (12" coma with a brighter
center 3" across and possibly a faint extension to the coma in p.a. 55 deg
for about 14"), J. McGaha (Tucson, AZ; 0.62-m f/5.1 reflector) on Nov. 21.2
(a uniform rounded coma 10" in diameter with no elongation or tail) and
J. Young (Wrightwood, CA; 0.61-m f/16 reflector) on Nov. 21.3 (bright diffuse
coma of diameter 8" with faint outer area extending 16" to the northeast; a
second extension is seen to the southwest in stacked images, but it is poorly
defined around p.a. 240 deg, all with some thin cirrus and moonlight).
Further astrometry is given on MPEC 2005-W24, together with parabolic orbital
elements (reproduced below) and an ephemeris.

     2005 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Nov. 20.27730    3 47 21.19   +35 52 46.3   17.1   Christensen

     T = 2005 June  1.107 TT          Peri. =  33.786
                                      Node  = 348.766   2000.0
     q = 3.17566 AU                   Incl. =  11.836


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT
2005 November 21                 (CBET 297)               Brian G. Marsden