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Old 16-03-2009, 09:13 AM
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ngcles
The Observologist

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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Billimari, NSW Central West
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New Comet -- C/2009 E1 (Itagaki)

Hi All,

I have become aware from Brian Skiff via another mailing list that a new telescopic comet C/2009 E1 (Itagaki) is reported in MPEC 2009-E69:

http://www.cfa.harvard.edu:80/mpec/K09/K09E69.html

for orbital elements and an ephemeris.

To quote Brian Skiff:

"It was discovered by Koichi Itagaki in Yamagata, Japan using a 21cm f/3 telescope + CCD. Various visual observers suggest it is about mag 10 and 3'-4' diameter. It s low in the west at dusk for northern observers, but still higher than Venus."

Might be worth keeping an eye on. Faint certainly at the moment and not likely to reach great heights, but after a relatively close (0.608 A.U) perihelion passage in early April, who knows what could happen.

Orbital elements and the ephemeris is likely to alter a bit over time as the astrometry is improved by further observation.


Best,

Les D

Last edited by ngcles; 16-03-2009 at 08:54 PM.
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