IAU circular No. 9127, issued on 2010, March 17, announces the discovery by J. V. Scotti of a new comet on Mar. 14, 2010, in the course of the Spacewatch survey. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, many observers have noted the cometary appearance of this 19.5 magnitude object, designated C/2010 E5 (SCOTTI).
We have been able to confirm this object remotely, through the GRAS network, using a scope located in Mayhill (NM): on 2010, March 17.4, co-adding of 20 unfiltered exposures, 120-seconds each obtained by means of a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD, show a coma nearly 10-arcsec in diameter, with a broad tail, about 25-arcsec long toward north-west.
Our confirming image:
The first and preliminary orbit for comet C/2010 E5 (Scotti) indicates perihelion on Jan. 20, 2011, at about 4.0 AU.
This is the 43rd comet for Spacewatch and the 5th for Scotti.
by Ernesto Guido & Giovanni Sostero
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