Comet Images by Faulkes & Liverpool Telescopes

Below you can find a selection of some of the comets we imaged in the last 2 weeks using the 2-meter telescopes of Faulkes (F65 & E10 MPC codes) and the La Palma-Liverpool (J13 MPC code). Click on each image for a bigger version.

Prompted by an alert of A. Diepvens on comet-images mailing list, on January 03 we perfomed some follow-up of C/2010 G2 (Hill); we confirm that this comet was experiencing a bright phase. Co-adding of 9 unfiltered exposures, 15 seconds each, obtained remotely from the Siding Spring-Faulkes Telescope South on 2012, January 03.46 through a 2.0-m f/10.0 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD  reveals the comet as a bright featureless star-like object of magnitude 13.2 N
  

C/2010 G2 (Hill)  - 2012, January 03

C/2010 G2 (Hill)  - 2011, December 22 - 2012 January 10

C/2009 F4 (McNaught) - 2012, January 03

Comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann - 2012, January 11

Comet 244P/Scotti - 2012, January 11

Comet 49P/Arend-Rigaux - 2012, January 11

Comet P/2011 W2 (RINNER) - 2012, January 11

Comet 164P/Christensen - 2012, January 11

by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes & Giovanni Sostero

New Comet: C/2010 G2 (HILL)

IAU circular No. 9134, issued on 2010, April 11, announces the discovery by R. E. Hill of a new comet on Apr. 10, 2010, in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, many observers have noted the cometary appearance of this 19.5 magnitude object, designated C/2010 G2 (HILL).

We have been able to confirm this object remotely, through the GRAS network, using a scope located in Mayhill (NM): on 2010, April 11.3, co-adding of 18 unfiltered exposures, 120-seconds each obtained by means of a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD, show a diffuse coma 10-arcsec in diameter.

Our confirming image:

The first and preliminary orbit for comet C/2010 G2 (Hill) indicates perihelion Jun. 19, 2011, at about 1.3 AU. The comet might reach 11m or brighter.

According to COCD, this is the 88th comet for the Catalina Sky Survey and the 22nd for Hill.

by Ernesto Guido & Giovanni Sostero