CBET nr. 4266, issued on 2016, March 16, announces the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~18) by R. A. Kowalski on CCD images obtained with the 0.68-m Schmidt telescope in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey on Mar. 15.44-15.46 UT. The new comet has been designated C/2016 E2 (Kowalski).
We performed follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 65 unfiltered exposures, 15 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2016, March 16.3 from H06 (iTelescope network - New Mexico) through a 0.25-m f/3.4 reflector + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse irregular coma nearly 10 arcsec in diameter.
Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)
M.P.E.C. 2016-F03 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2016 E2: T 2016 Feb. 6.70; e= 1.0; Peri. = 322.01; q = 1.07; Incl.= 136.00
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| Credit: JPL |
This comet will have a close approach with Earth at about 114 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.2920 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) on March 17, 2016 at 06:41 UT (it passed perihelion on Feb. 06, 2016 at 1.075 AU). Comet C/2016 E2 will fade in the coming days as its distance from both the Earth and Sun increase.
by Ernesto Guido & Nick Howes
it'll be Interesting to follow this one...
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