MPEC 2003-A78 : COMET C/2003 A2
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M.P.E.C. 2003-A78 Issued 2003 Jan. 14, 17:10 UT
The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars contain information on unusual
minor planets and routine data on comets. They are published
on behalf of Commission 20 of the International Astronomical Union by the
Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network
MPC@CFA.HARVARD.EDU
URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/mpc.html ISSN 1523-6714
COMET C/2003 A2
Observations:
CK03A020 C2003 01 10.39264 08 55 59.44 +13 36 48.5 20.0 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 10.41670 08 55 59.19 +13 36 49.6 20.1 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 10.44111 08 55 58.91 +13 36 50.8 20.2 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 10.51989 08 55 57.97 +13 36 55.0 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 10.52721 08 55 57.91 +13 36 56.1 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 10.53469 08 55 57.77 +13 36 57.2 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.27049 08 55 49.67 +13 37 35.6 20.3 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.28438 08 55 49.26 +13 37 36.3 19.5 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.29063 08 55 49.09 +13 37 42.5 19.7 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.30482 08 55 49.04 +13 37 41.1 20.4 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.31146 08 55 48.94 +13 37 43.1 19.5 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.31287 08 55 49.01 +13 37 41.4 19.9 T 858
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.32978 08 55 48.78 +13 37 42.9 20.3 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.33750 08 55 48.74 +13 37 43.7 20.2 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.34495 08 55 48.63 +13 37 42.7 19.5 T 858
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.35376 08 55 48.46 +13 37 44.0 20.2 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.37455 08 55 48.37 +13 37 46.6 19.8 T 858
CK03A020 C2003 01 11.98519 08 55 41.30 +13 38 22.5 20.2 T 246
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.00449 08 55 41.05 +13 38 23.8 246
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.00573 08 55 40.95 +13 38 21.8 246
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.00689 08 55 40.93 +13 38 23.4 246
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.05973 08 55 40.39 +13 38 25.0 246
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.06215 08 55 40.33 +13 38 25.7 246
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.27222 08 55 38.03 +13 38 37.9 21.1 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.30821 08 55 37.57 +13 38 40.1 20.3 T 858
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.32956 08 55 37.34 +13 38 40.9 20.2 T 858
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.36007 08 55 37.03 +13 38 44.0 19.8 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.40973 08 55 36.18 +13 38 47.2 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.41499 08 55 36.15 +13 38 46.4 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 12.42072 08 55 36.05 +13 38 47.9 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.25961 08 55 26.32 +13 39 37.7 20.2 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.27089 08 55 26.20 +13 39 38.9 20.1 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.28375 08 55 26.06 +13 39 39.0 20.2 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.35367 08 55 25.23 +13 39 43.2 20.2 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.36596 08 55 25.04 +13 39 44.1 20.4 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.38153 08 55 24.86 +13 39 45.3 20.5 T 291
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.66610 08 55 21.56 +13 40 02.6 413
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.67072 08 55 21.49 +13 40 03.0 413
CK03A020 C2003 01 13.67599 08 55 21.38 +13 40 03.4 413
CK03A020 C2003 01 14.27014 08 55 14.38 +13 40 39.1 20.2 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 14.28750 08 55 14.11 +13 40 41.6 19.5 T 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 14.30541 08 55 13.86 +13 40 40.7 19.1 T 711
CK03A020 C2003 01 14.31389 08 55 13.87 +13 40 42.1 850
CK03A020 C2003 01 14.31930 08 55 13.78 +13 40 43.1 711
Observer details:
246 Klet Observatory-KLENOT. Observers J. Ticha, M. Tichy. 1.06-m KLENOT
Telescope + CCD.
291 LPL/Spacewatch II. Observers A. E. Gleason, T. Gehrels. 1.8-m f/2.7
reflector + CCD.
413 Siding Spring. Observer R. H. McNaught. 1.0-m f/8 reflector + CCD.
711 McDonald Observatory. Observer J. G. Ries. 0.76-m reflector with prime
focus corrector + CCD.
850 Cordell-Lorenz Observatory, Sewanee. Observers D. T. Durig, H. H. Fry,
A. D. McDermott. 0.3-m f/5.75 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD.
858 Tebbutt Observatory, Edgewood. Observer F. B. Zoltowski. 0.3-m f/3.3
Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD.
Orbital elements:
C/2003 A2
T 2003 Jan. 10.332 TT MPC
q 11.52235 (2000.0) P Q
Peri. 335.571 -0.650497 -0.757232
Node 154.881 +0.717625 -0.638120
e 1.0 Incl. 7.957 +0.248733 -0.139293
From 39 observations 2003 Jan. 10-14.
Ephemeris:
C/2003 A2
Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 m2
2003 01 11 08 55.88 +13 37.4 10.608 11.522 157.5 1.9 19.2
2003 01 21 08 53.86 +13 47.8 10.558 11.522 167.9 1.0 19.2
2003 01 31 08 51.71 +13 59.4 10.539 11.523 176.4 0.3 19.2
2003 02 10 08 49.55 +14 11.5 10.552 11.523 169.5 0.9 19.2
2003 02 20 08 47.52 +14 23.6 10.595 11.524 159.2 1.7 19.2
2003 03 02 08 45.75 +14 35.2 10.666 11.525 148.8 2.6 19.3
2003 03 12 08 44.34 +14 45.6 10.764 11.526 138.5 3.3 19.3
2003 03 22 08 43.38 +14 54.6 10.884 11.528 128.3 3.9 19.3
2003 04 01 08 42.93 +15 01.8 11.023 11.530 118.3 4.4 19.3
2003 04 11 08 43.03 +15 06.9 11.175 11.531 108.4 4.7 19.4
2003 04 21 08 43.69 +15 09.8 11.337 11.534 98.8 4.9 19.4
2003 05 01 08 44.91 +15 10.4 11.503 11.536 89.4 5.0 19.4
2003 05 11 08 46.67 +15 08.7 11.669 11.539 80.1 4.9 19.5
2003 05 21 08 48.92 +15 04.8 11.831 11.541 71.0 4.8 19.5
2003 05 31 08 51.64 +14 58.6 11.984 11.544 62.1 4.5 19.5
2003 06 10 08 54.76 +14 50.3 12.126 11.548 53.3 4.0 19.5
2003 06 20 08 58.22 +14 40.1 12.253 11.551 44.6 3.5 19.6
2003 06 30 09 01.99 +14 28.1 12.362 11.555 36.0 3.0 19.6
The assumed perihelic parabolic orbit above is very tentative. It seems
likely that the object is a Centaur, showing cometary activity as (2060) =
95P/Chiron has shown near perihelion.
Brian G. Marsden (C) Copyright 2003 MPC M.P.E.C. 2003-A78
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