Thursday, October 18, 2012

New Comet: C/2012 T5 (BRESSI)

Cbet nr. 3258, issued on 2012, October 18, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude 18.6) by T. H. Bressi on CCD mosaic images taken with the Spacewatch 0.9-m f/3 reflector at Kitt Peak on October 14.4. The new comet has been designated C/2012 T5 (BRESSI).

According to its preliminary parabolic orbital, comet C/2012 T5 (BRESSI) has it perihelion on T 2013 Feb. 23 with q = 0.31 and it might reach the peak  magnitude ~8. (graph generated using the software Orbitas - click on the image for a bigger version).


We performed some follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 7 R-filtered exposures, 120-sec each,obtained remotely,from H06 (ITelescope network near Mayhill, NM) on 2012, Oct. 18.33, through a 0.43-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer shows that this object is a comet: compact coma about 5" in diameter and tail nearly 12" long in PA 270.

Our confirmation image (click on the image for a bigger version):

 
M.P.E.C. 2012-U38 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2012 T5: T 2013 Feb. 23.55; e= 1.0; Peri. = 318.27; q = 0.32 AU; Incl.= 71.87.

by Giovanni Sostero, Nick Howes & Ernesto Guido

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