Tuesday, April 2, 2013

New Comet: C/2013 F3 (McNAUGHT)

Cbet nr. 3450, issued on 2013, April 01, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude ~17) by R. H. McNaught on CCD images obtained with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring on March 29.7. The new comet has been designated C/2013 F3 (McNAUGHT).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object remotely, from the iTelescope network (New Mexico - MPC code H06) on 2013, April 01.4, through a 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer.

Below you can see our image, stack of 15x50-second exposures. Click on it for a bigger version.


M.P.E.C. 2013-G02 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2013 F3: T 2013 May 21.47; e= 1.0; Peri. = 17.09; q = 2.27;  Incl.= 85.02.

by Ernesto Guido & Nick Howes

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