Electronic Telegram No. 5336 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Mailing address: 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.html Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network COMET P/2023 V8 = P/2018 P3 (PANSTARRS) T. Oribe (Saji, Tottori, Japan) reported a possible recovery of comet P/2018 P3 (cf. CBET 4548) on CMOS camera images obtained on 2023 Nov. 15 with a 1.03-m reflector (observations tabulated below); according to MPEC 2024-B135, Oribe noted a stellar appearance, adding that there may have been a 10" tail toward p.a. 74 degrees. 2023 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Observer Nov. 15.38716 21 06 06.29 -26 07 18.2 20.6 Oribe 15.38856 21 06 06.44 -26 07 17.6 " 15.38997 21 06 06.58 -26 07 16.6 " 15.39277 21 06 07.06 -26 07 15.1 " 15.40118 21 06 07.89 -26 07 08.3 " Following circulation of Oribe's report, other observers confirmed the recovery. Hirohisa Sato writes that he measured ten stacked 60-s exposures obtained on 2023 Dec. 7.4 UT by T. Ikemura at Shinshiro, Japan, with a with a 0.38-m f/4.2 reflector, which reveal a moderately condensed coma about 5" in diameter (total mag 19.8) with no tail. CCD exposures taken remotely by Hidetaka Sato (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan) with a "Deep Sky Chile" 0.51-m f/6.8 astrograph at Rio Hurtado, Chile, on 2023 Dec. 11.05 and 12.0 show a strongly condensed coma 5" in diameter at both nights; on Dec. 11, there was a hint of tail 10" long eastwards in thirteen stacked 30-s images, while on Dec. 12, there was a 10" tail toward p.a. 80 degrees in twenty-four stacked 30-s exposures. Note that two observations from Mauna Kea on 2013 July 15.6 UT (when the total magnitude was given as 20.1) were published on 2022 July 19 on MPC 141206, and that an additional three observations from the Pan-STARRS1 1.8-m Ritchey-Chretien reflector at Haleakala on 2013 July 14.6 (mag 21.5-21.6) were published on 2023 July 6 on MPC 163251, without attention being called to what was then a second known apparition of this comet. The 2013 observations showed residuals of +0.10 deg in R.A. and +0.05 deg in Decl. from the prediction on NK 4286 (and ICQ's 2023 Comet Handbook), with a corresponding correction of Delta(T) = -0.26 day. The indicated correction to the above recovery observations in 2023 from the orbit including 2013-2019 observations (cf. NK 5042) is negligible. The following linked orbital elements by S. Nakano (Central Bureau) are from 300 observations spanning 2013 July 14-2024 Jan. 11 (mean residual 0".7). There are no close approaches to major planets. Epoch = 2013 July 7.0 TT T = 2013 July 8.47956 TT Peri. = 304.38991 e = 0.4067026 Node = 60.27930 2000.0 q = 1.7932069 AU Incl. = 8.85014 a = 3.0224418 AU n = 0.18757163 P = 5.26 years Epoch = 2018 Oct. 9.0 TT T = 2018 Oct. 9.47423 TT Peri. = 305.89288 e = 0.4158972 Node = 59.20828 2000.0 q = 1.7564731 AU Incl. = 8.90950 a = 3.0071304 AU n = 0.18900604 P = 5.22 years Epoch = 2024 Jan. 11.0 TT T = 2023 Dec. 26.75321 TT Peri. = 306.01713 e = 0.4172419 Node = 59.15872 2000.0 q = 1.7507179 AU Incl. = 8.91508 a = 3.0041931 AU n = 0.18928330 P = 5.21 years Epoch = 2029 Mar. 5.0 TT T = 2029 Mar. 7.67367 TT Peri. = 305.78806 e = 0.4181755 Node = 59.12381 2000.0 q = 1.7466216 AU Incl. = 8.91560 a = 3.0019733 AU n = 0.18949329 P = 5.20 years Epoch = 2034 Apr. 28.0 TT T = 2034 May 17.75991 TT Peri. = 305.66308 e = 0.4191710 Node = 59.09800 2000.0 q = 1.7429686 AU Incl. = 8.91757 a = 3.0008292 AU n = 0.18960167 P = 5.20 years Epoch = 2039 July 31.0 TT T = 2039 July 29.46932 TT Peri. = 305.61539 e = 0.4179068 Node = 59.08345 2000.0 q = 1.7481391 AU Incl. = 8.91483 a = 3.0031944 AU n = 0.18937773 P = 5.20 years The following ephemeris by the undersigned from the above orbital elements uses photometric power-law parameters H = 13.5 and 2.5n = 10 for the magnitudes. Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase Mag. 2024 01 11 23 15.03 -10 38.4 2.109 1.755 55.8 27.6 17.6 2024 01 21 23 38.23 -07 30.0 2.188 1.763 52.1 26.1 17.7 2024 01 31 00 01.39 -04 20.3 2.268 1.775 48.5 24.5 17.8 2024 02 10 00 24.50 -01 11.7 2.350 1.791 44.9 22.9 17.9 2024 02 20 00 47.60 +01 53.5 2.432 1.810 41.3 21.1 18.0 2024 09 07 08 02.21 +25 26.7 3.170 2.594 47.3 16.6 20.1 2024 09 17 08 17.75 +25 04.8 3.111 2.640 53.5 17.8 20.2 2024 09 27 08 32.10 +24 43.5 3.042 2.685 60.0 18.9 20.2 2024 10 07 08 45.13 +24 24.8 2.963 2.729 66.8 19.7 20.2 2024 10 17 08 56.70 +24 10.7 2.876 2.774 74.1 20.2 20.2 2024 10 27 09 06.65 +24 03.2 2.783 2.818 81.8 20.4 20.2 2024 11 06 09 14.78 +24 04.3 2.685 2.861 89.9 20.3 20.2 2024 11 16 09 20.87 +24 15.6 2.587 2.904 98.6 19.7 20.2 2024 11 26 09 24.70 +24 38.6 2.490 2.946 107.8 18.6 20.2 2024 12 06 09 26.02 +25 13.6 2.400 2.988 117.7 17.0 20.2 2024 12 16 09 24.68 +26 00.0 2.322 3.030 128.1 14.8 20.1 2024 12 26 09 20.66 +26 55.2 2.260 3.071 138.9 12.1 20.1 2025 01 05 09 14.11 +27 55.1 2.220 3.111 150.0 9.1 20.2 NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2024 CBAT 2024 January 26 (CBET 5336) Daniel W. E. Green