Wednesday, June 1, 2011

New Comet: C/2011 K1 (SCHWARTZ-HOLVORCEM)

IAUC nr.9211, issued on 2011, May 31, announced the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude 19.5) by Paulo R. Holvorcem and Michael Schwartz through the Tenagra III 0.41-m astrograph + CCD, on images obtained on 2011, May 26.3 The new comet has been designated C/2011 K1 (SCHWARTZ-HOLVORCEM).

After posting on the Minor Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, this object has been found by several CCD astrometrists to show cometary appearance. We performed some follow-up measurements of this object while it was still listed in the NEOCP, on 2011 May 30.4 remotely from the Tzec Maun Observatory.


Our confirming image (click for a bigger version):



M.P.E.C. 2011-L04 assignes the following preliminary orbital elements to comet C/2011 K1: T 2011 Apr. 19.3; e=0.93; Peri. = 166.63; q = 3.35 AU; Incl. = 122.04


by Giovanni Sostero & Ernesto Guido

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