CBET 4822 & MPEC 2020-P10, issued on 2020, August 02, announce the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~18) by Leonardo S. Amaral (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) on three 60-s CCD exposures taken on July 23 with a 0.3-m f/4 reflector. The new comet has been designated C/2020 O2 (Amaral).
We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage.
Stacking of 16 unfiltered exposures, 90 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, July 27.05 from X02 (Telescope Live, Chile) through a 0.6-m f/6.5 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 8" in diameter (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, M. Fulle, G. Milani, C. Nassef, G. Savini, A. Valvasori).
We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage.
Stacking of 16 unfiltered exposures, 90 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, July 27.05 from X02 (Telescope Live, Chile) through a 0.6-m f/6.5 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 8" in diameter (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, M. Fulle, G. Milani, C. Nassef, G. Savini, A. Valvasori).
Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)
Discovery image
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| Credit: L. S. Amaral (OCA) |
MPEC 2020-P10, assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2020 O2 (Amaral): T 2021 Aug. 23.84; e= 1.0; Peri. = 9.39; q = 4.90; Incl.= 71.89
Congrats to Leonardo Scanferla Amaral (Observatório Campo dos Amarais, OCA) for this discovery! This is the fourth amateur comet discovery of 2020.