Comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught) - Animation & Images

Comet C/2009 R1 has been discovered in September 2009 by Robert H. McNaught in the course of Australia’s Siding Spring Survey.

For more information about the discovery of this comet, please see our previous post:
http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-comet-discovery-c2009-r1-mcnaught.html

The comet is now around magnitude 7.5 and it will be a nice binocular object. Throughout this apparition it will be low in the east or northeast when dawn begins to brighten.

In our images, taken on May 26, is clearly visible a nice disconnection event (DE) in the plasma tail of the comet C/2009 R1. Occasionally due to comet-solar wind interaction, the entire plasma tail or part of it separates from the comet and drift away (antisunward), followed by simultaneous renewal of the plasma tail. This phenomena is called a disconnection event.




Here & here you can see bigger versions of this image:


Wide-field animation of comet C/2009 R1 (May 26, 2010), showing the DE event:

Wide-Field Image (May 26, 2010):

by Ernesto Guido & Giovanni Sostero

Photos of MACE 2010

Photos from the MACE 2010 (Meeting on Asteroids and Comets in Europe) held in and around Višnjan/Tićan, Croatia, on the long weekend of May 21-23, 2010:

http://bit.ly/9hZyoH

New Comet: C/2010 J3 (MCMILLAN)

IAU circular No. 9146, issued on 2010, May 13, announces the discovery by R. S. McMillan of a new comet on May 12, 2010, with the Spacewatch 0.9-m f/3 reflector at Kitt Peak. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, many observers have commented on the cometary appearance of this 17.5 magnitude object, designated C/2010 J3 (MCMILLAN).

We have been able to confirm this object remotely, through a 0.18-m refractor, f/7.3 + CCD at Tzec Maun Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.: on 2010, May 12.4, co-adding of 10 unfiltered exposures, 180-seconds each, show a compact coma about 12" in diameter, with a sharp central condensation; broad tail nearly 20" long toward PA 265 deg.

Our confirming image:

The first and preliminary parabolic orbit for comet C/2010 J3 (MCMILLAN) indicates perihelion Sept. 28, 2010, at about 2.2 AU.

by G. Sostero, E. Guido, L. Donato

Cataclysmic Variable in Pegasus

CBET circulars No. 2273 & 2275, issued on May 08, 2010, announces the discovery by Dae-Am Yi (Korea) of an apparent new object (mag about 10.8) on two images taken on May 6.77 with a Canon 5D digital camera (+ 93-mm camera lens). CBET 2275 reports independent discovery of the outburst of this variable by Shizuo Kaneko.

We performed some follow-up of this object remotely through a 0.25-m, f/3,4 reflector + CCD, from GRAS Observatory (near Mayhill, NM).

On our images taken on May 09.4, 2010 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with unfiltered CCD magnitude about 8.5 (UCAC2 Catalogue reference stars) at coordinates:

R.A. = 21 38 06.57, Decl.= +26 19 58.2

(equinox 2000.0; UCAC2 catalogue reference stars).

Our confirmation image:

This is an animation showing a comparison between our image and the archive DSS plate (R Filter - 1991). The archive plates show a close pair of objects at the location of the outbursting variable (GSC 2197:886):

Based upon an examination of the POSS-I and POSS-II plates by Arne Henden (AAVSO), it is possible that the double is composed of two unassociated stars, one with a high proper motion.

Spectrum obtained on May 8.47 UT with the 1.82-m Plaskett Telescope of the National Research Council of Canada, shows strong H-alpha and H-beta in emission (HWFM 800 km/s). Another spectrum obtained using the 1.3-m ARAKI telescope on May 8.66 UT shows a blue continuum and a weak H-alpha emission line, suggesting that the object would be classified as a dwarf nova. (cf. CBET 2275).

According to Taichi Kato (VSNET), given the current brightness (and no known past outburst record), the object may be a large-amplitude WZ Sge-type dwarf nova undergoing a rare outburst!

by Ernesto Guido and Giovanni Sostero

New Comet: C/2010 J1 (BOATTINI)

IAU circular No. 9143, issued on 2010, May 07, announces the discovery by A. Boattini of a new comet on May 06, 2010, with the 0.68-m Schmidt telescope in the course of the Catalina Sky Survey. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, many observers have commented on the cometary appearance of this 16 magnitude object, designated C/2010 J1 (BOATTINI).

We have been able to confirm this object remotely, through the GRAS network, using a scope located in Mayhill (NM): on 2010, May 6.4, co-adding of 10 unfiltered exposures, 60-seconds each obtained by means of a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD, show a diffuse coma nearly 15-arcsec in diameter, plus a broad, fan-shaped tail about 1-arcmin long toward south-east.

Our confirming image:

Our follow-up image taken on May 07, 2010:

 

The first and preliminary parabolic orbit for comet C/2010 J1 (BOATTINI) indicates perihelion Jan. 31, 2010, at about 1.6 AU.

This is the 90th comet for the Catalina Sky Survey and the 14nd for Boattini.

by Ernesto Guido & Giovanni Sostero

Possible Nova in Scorpius

CBET circular No. 2262, issued on April 26, 2010, announces the discovery by K. Nishiyama & F. Kabashima (Japan) of another possible nova (mag 8.6) on two 40-s unfiltered CCD frames (limiting magnitude 13.1) taken around Apr. 25.788 UT using a 105-mm f/4 camera lens (+ SBIG STL6303E camera). The same CBET reports indipendent discovery by H. Nishimura & T. Kojima.

We performed some follow-up of this object remotely through a 0.25-m, f/3,4 reflector + CCD, from GRAS Observatory (near Mayhill, NM).

On our images taken on April 26.4, 2010 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with unfiltered CCD magnitude about 8.2 (UCAC2 Catalogue reference stars) at coordinates:

R.A. = 16 55 13.17, Decl.= -38 03 47.8

(equinox 2000.0; UCAC2 catalogue reference stars).

Our confirmation image:

This is an animation showing a comparison between our image and the archive DSS plate (R Filter - 1995). Click on it for a bigger version.

UPDATE - MAY 06, 2010

According to IAUC circular No. 9142, a low-dispersion spectrum (range 420-850 nm, resolution about 500) of this object, taken by K. Kinugasa, H. Takahashi, and O. Hashimoto on Apr. 29.745 UT with the GAO 1.5-m telescope (+ GLOWS), shows broad (FWHM about 4000 km/s) Balmer and O I (777.4-, 822.7-, and 844.6-nm) emission lines. The features indicate that the object is a He/N nova in a declining phase.

The permanent GCVS designation V1311 Sco has been assigned to this nova.

V1311 SCORPII = NOVA SCORPII 2010 No. 2

by Ernesto Guido and Giovanni Sostero

Possible Nova in Sagittarius

CBET circular No. 2261, issued on April 24, 2010, announces the discovery by K. Nishiyama & F. Kabashima (Japan) of a possible Milky Way nova (mag 11.2) in Sagittarius on two 40-s unfiltered CCD frames (limiting magnitude 13.2) taken around Apr. 23.782 UT using a 105-mm f/4 camera lens (+ SBIG STL6303E camera).

We performed some follow-up of this object remotely through a 0.25-m, f/3,4 reflector + CCD, from GRAS Observatory (near Mayhill, NM).

On our images taken on April 25.4, 2010 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with unfiltered CCD magnitude about 12.1 (UCAC2 Catalogue reference stars) at coordinates:

R.A. = 17 53 02.99, Decl.= -28 12 19.3

(equinox 2000.0; UCAC2 catalogue reference stars)

Our confirmation image:

This is an animation showing a comparison between our image and the archive DSS plate (IR Filter - 1980). Click on it for a bigger version.

Spectroscopic observations are required to confirm the real nature of this transient.

UPDATE - May 06, 2010

According to IUAC 9140, a spectra has been obtained at the Steward Observatory Bok 2.29-m telescope on Apr. 25.4 UT by L. A. Helton, T. Vonderharr, and C. E. Woodward and G. J. Schwarz. These observations confirm that this is a post-maximum classical nova. The spectra exhibit strong, broad H_alpha emission.

The permanent GCVS designation V5586 Sgr has been assigned to this nova.

V5586 SAGITTARII = NOVA SAGITTARII 2010 No. 2

by Ernesto Guido and Giovanni Sostero