Friday, May 7, 2010

New Comet: C/2010 J1 (BOATTINI)

IAU circular No. 9143, issued on 2010, May 07, announces the discovery by A. Boattini of a new comet on May 06, 2010, with the 0.68-m Schmidt telescope in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, many observers have commented on the cometary appearance of this 16 magnitude object, designated C/2010 J1 (BOATTINI).

We have been able to confirm this object remotely, through the GRAS network, using a scope located in Mayhill (NM): on 2010, May 6.4, co-adding of 10 unfiltered exposures, 60-seconds each obtained by means of a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD, show a diffuse coma nearly 15-arcsec in diameter, plus a broad, fan-shaped tail about 1-arcmin long toward south-east.


Our confirming image:




Our follow-up image taken on May 07, 2010:



 
The first and preliminary parabolic orbit for comet C/2010 J1 (BOATTINI) indicates perihelion Jan. 31, 2010, at about 1.6 AU.

This is the 90th comet for the Catalina Sky Survey and the 14nd for Boattini.

by Ernesto Guido & Giovanni Sostero

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