Unusual Minor Planet 2012 NJ

MPEC 2012-N19, issued on 2012 July 14, reports the discovery by J75 OAM Observatory, La Sagra with a 0.45-m f/2.8 reflector + CCD of the unusual minor planet 2012 NJ. According to the latest orbital solution available, this object moves along a comet-like orbit with an Inclination of 84.32 deg,  Eccentricity = 0.85, Perihelion distance = 1.29 AU and Period = 24.23 years.

We performed some follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp, remotely from the H06 ITelescope network (near Mayhill, NM) on  2012, Jul. 14.3, through a 0.51-m f/6.9 reflector + CCD.  No cometary features are visible in our images, the object has the same aspect of the nearby field stars of similar brightness.

Our confirmation image, stack of 10x10-second exposures (click on it for a bigger version):

Below you can see an animation showing the movement of 2012 NJ (each frame is 10-second exposure). Click on the thumbnail for a bigger version:

On mpml mailing list you can find an interesting discussion about the orbit of this object: 

UPDATE - July 18, 2012

According to Cbet 3178, a 35" tail in p.a. 235 deg has been reported by Gerhard J. Hahn on stacked and single images taken by Stefano Mottola using the 1.23-m telescope on Calar Alto on July 16, 17, and 18 UT. 2012 NJ is now comet P/2012 NJ (LA SAGRA)

Credit: Department of Asteroid and Comet Research, DLR Institute of Planetary Research

by Ernesto Guido, Giovanni Sostero & Nick Howes

Unusual asteroid 2009 QY6

M.P.E.C. 2009-Q32 , issued on 2009 Aug. 20, announces the discovery of an intriguing object: 2009 QY6. It was picked-up on Aug. 17 with the 1.0-m f/2.15 reflector + CCD of the Lincoln Laboratory ETS team (NM), while it was moving at about 1.2"/min in the morning sky, through the constellation of Aries.

This object has an extremely peculiar orbit (a= 7.35 AU, e= 0.72, i= 137 deg, P= 20.0 years, as for 2009, Aug. 21 MPC website), very similar to that of a comet.

We performed some follow-up of 2009 QY6 while it was still listed in the NEO-CP website (labelled as "BP85104") from the Castelmartini Obs (MPC#160) on 2009, Aug. 19.0, and from the RAS Observatory (MPC#H06) on Aug. 19.4 and 20.4.

In all our stacks, we were consistently unable to identify any cometary feature on this object. Down to the limit of our seeing condition, we always obtained a FWHM profile of 2009 QY6 that was virtually undistinguishible compared to that of nearby field stars having similar brightness.

Stacks from RAS-Mayhill:

According to its preliminary orbit, this curious object might well be a "Damocloid", a few kilometers in diameter. It will reach its perihelion on 2009, OCt. 1, at about 2 AU from the Sun, and it's well worth to keep 2009 QY6 under close scrutiny, in order to check any arise of residual degassing.

Ernesto Guido, Giovanni Sostero, Enrico Prosperi and Paul Camilleri