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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

New Comet: C/2015 F4 (JACQUES)

CBET nr. 4085, issued on 2015, March 31, announces the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~16) by C. Jacques on CCD images taken on 2015, March 27.2  by C. Jacques, E. Pimentel and J. Barros with a 0.28-m f/2.2 astrograph at the SONEAR Observatory (Oliveira, Brazil).  The new comet has been designated C/2015 F4 (JACQUES).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 14 unfiltered exposures, 60-sec each, obtained remotely on 2015, March 27.7 from Q62 (iTelescope network - Siding Spring) through a 0.43-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a sharp central condensation surrounded by a coma about 8" in diameter and a tail about 15" long in PA 237.

Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)


M.P.E.C. 2015-F159 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2015 F4: T 2015 Aug. 8.20; e= 1.0; Peri. = 31.64; q = 1.73;  Incl.= 47.82


Below you can see the discovery images  (click on it for a bigger version)

Credit: SONEAR Observatory

by Ernesto Guido & Nick Howes

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