CBET 4960 & MPEC 2021-J71 , issued on 2021, May 06, announce the discovery of an apparently asteroidal object (magnitude ~19.5) on CCD images taken on March 09.5 UT with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar in the course of the "Zwicky Transient Facility" (ZTF) search program. This object has been found to show cometary appearance by CCD astrometrists elsewhere. The new comet has been designated C/2021 E3 (ZTF).
Stacking of 14 unfiltered exposures, 120 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2021, March 19.2 from Z08 (Telescope Live, Oria) through a 0.7 m f/8 Ritchey Chretien + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a compact coma about 7" 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; made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott)
MPEC 2021-J71, assigns the following orbital elements to comet C/2021 E3 (ZTF): T 2022 June 11.81; e= 1.00; Peri. = 228.84; q = 1.77 ; Incl.= 112.55
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| Credit: MPC |
By Ernesto Guido
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