Comets & Asteroids - Summary for January 2017

During the month of January 2017, 4 new comets were discovered, cometary activity was detected for 1 previously discovered object (earlier designated as an asteroid) and there was 1 comet recovery. "Current comet magnitudes" & "Daily updated asteroid flybys" pages are available at the top of this blog (or just click on the underline text here).  

The dates below refer to the date of issuance of CBET (Central Bureau Electronic  Telegram)  which reported the official news & designations.

- Comet Discoveries

Jan 6  Discovery of C/2017 A1 (PANSTARRS)

Jan 07 Discovery of P/2017 A2 = P/2011 A5 (PANSTARRS)

Jan 11 Discovery of C/2017 A3 (ELENIN)

Jan 28 Discovery of P/2017 B1 = 2010 EY_90 (LEMMON)

- Cometary activity detected

Jan 29 Cometary activity detected in 2016 VZ_18 = C/2016 VZ_18 (PANSTARRS)

- Comet Recoveries

Jan 30  Recovery of P/2010 J5 (McNAUGHT) as P/2017 B2

- Other news

Jan 8 CBET 4342, CBET 4345 (Jan. 12), CBET 4346 (Jan. 14) & CBET 4347 (Jan. 28) report that the following minor planets are binaries systems: (4296) VAN WOERKOM, (12326) SHIRASAKI, (6186) ZENON, (163693) ATIRA. 

Credit: Arecibo Observatory

by Ernesto Guido

New Comet: C/2017 E4 (LOVEJOY)

CBET nr. 4373, issued on 2017, March 13, announces the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~15) by Terry James Lovejoy on three CCD 8-s exposures taken five minutes apart starting on Mar. 9.684 UT with a Celestron C14 reflector operating at f/1.9 (+ QHY9 camera). The new comet has been designated C/2017 E4 (LOVEJOY). 

I performed follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 10 unfiltered exposures, 30 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2017, March 10.7 from Q62 (iTelescope network) through a 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + focal reducer, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma nearly 15 arcsec in diameter.

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

M.P.E.C. 2017-E86 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2017 E4: T 2017 Apr. 23.3; e= 1.0; Peri. =  87.21; q = 0.49;  Incl.= 88.23

 Discovery image set from March 9.68, 2017. Credit. T. Lovejoy

by Ernesto Guido

New Comet: C/2017 E1 (Borisov)

CBET nr. 4369, issued on 2017, March 04, announces the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~17) by Gennadii Vladimirovich Borisov on three unfiltered 120-s exposures obtained on Mar. 1.10 UT with a 0.4-m f/2.3 astrograph at the "Mobil Astronomical Robotics Genon" Observatory (MARGO) near Nauchnij. The new comet has been designated C/2017 E1 (Borisov). 

I performed follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 20 unfiltered exposures, 30 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2017, March 1.5 from H06 (iTelescope network) through a 0.43-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma nearly 30 arcsec in diameter.

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

M.P.E.C. 2017-E42 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2017 E1: T 2017 Apr. 9.8; e= 1.0; Peri. =  151.90; q = 0.90;  Incl.= 14.54

by Ernesto Guido