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IAUC 8981: COMET 202P/SCOTTI; C/2008 J13-J16, C/2008 K1, C/2008 K2

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IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 8981
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 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://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html  ISSN 0081-0304
Phone 617-495-7440/7244/7444 (for emergency use only)


COMET 202P/SCOTTI
     S. Nakano (2004, Nakano Note No. 1070) suggested that P/2001
X2 = 1929 WW, an apparently asteroidal object for which approximate
positions from Lowell Observatory plates taken by E. C. Slipher and
C. W. Tombaugh on 1929 Nov. 27 and Dec. 3 were published by H. L.
Giclas (1940, A.N. 271, 43).  Accurate measurements by B. A. Skiff
and C. M. Olmstead were published on MPC 16527 in 1990.  Although
the identification was plausible, the linkage required use of the
approximate position on the first night, and this differs from the
accurate position by some 6'.  Skiff has now reexamined that first
plate, finding the measurement on MPC 16527 in fact to apply to a
string of faint stars.  His new estimate of the position of the
object reported by Giclas,

     1929 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.
     Nov. 27.25556    5 17 18.5    +20 21 06     16.5

clearly confirms the correctness of the identification with the
object now designated comet 202P (IAUC 8971, 8976), this object
having T = 1930 Jan. 8.7 TT.  Indeed, Skiff remarks that the object
appears weakly cometary on both 1929 plates, the fuzziness
amounting to a 10" coma at best, with no indication of a tail.


COMETS C/2008 J13-J16, C/2008 K1, C/2008 K2 (SOHO)
     Further to IAUC 8964, additional Kreutz sungrazers have been
found on SOHO website images.  Karl Battams notes that C/2008 J13
was slightly diffuse (mag about 6.5) with a short tail.  C/2008 J14
was stellar in appearance (mag about 5.5-6) in C3 images, and was
bright and teardrop-shaped in C2 images.  C/2008 J15 was small and
slightly diffuse (mag about 8).  C/2008 J16 was extremely faint
(mag about 8.5) and very diffuse.  C/2008 K1 was tiny and stellar
in appearance (mag about 8-8.5).  C/2008 K2 was tiny, extremely
faint (mag about 8.5), and slightly diffuse.

 Comet        2008 UT       R.A.(2000)Decl.   Inst.  F    MPEC
 C/2008 J13   May 12.021     3 20.2  +16 41   C2     RK   2008-M11
 C/2008 J14       12.971     3 33.9  +15 00   C3/2   RM   2008-M11
 C/2008 J15       13.064     3 24.2  +16 54   C2     JR   2008-M11
 C/2008 J16       14.379     3 28.6  +17 11   C2     JR   2008-M11
 C/2008 K1        17.317     3 39.7  +17 49   C2     MK   2008-M13
 C/2008 K2        17.650     3 40.8  +17 52   C2     MK   2008-M13

                      (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 September 26              (8981)            Daniel W. E. Green

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