[vsnet-alert 8883] New(?) comet in Boo

[Grzegorz Pojmanski]

New(?) comet in Boo

Grzegorz Pojmanski, Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory reports:

Using the ASAS3V instrument of The All Sky Automated Survey 
(telephoto lens 200/2.8, diameter 70mm + CCD + Johnsons V  filter, 
3 minute exposures, pixel size 14.8 arcsec, rms astrometric accuracy:
4  arcsec) I have found another apparently cometary object on images 
taken on March 15, 2006.  I could not identify this object using MPC/CBAT pages.
Search for prediscovery images revealed the same object on the frames taken
on Mar 14 (I filter), March 12, 09, 06 ,03 (V filter), as well as on image taken
tonight (Mar 16, I filter).

Observations:
   DATE    UT                      HJD        RA  (2000)  DEC     
03/03/2006 06:38:53 (Mar 03.277) 2453797.7815 14:00:29 +13:14.7 13.69 (V)
06/03/2006 06:19:20 (Mar 06.263) 2453800.7680 14:04:23 +13:42.9 13.62 (V)
09/03/2006 06:43:46 (Mar 09.281) 2453803.7846 14:08:20 +14:14.1 13.38 (V)
12/03/2006 06:32:23 (Mar 12.273) 2453806.7769 14:12:18 +14:47.4 13.00 (V)
14/03/2006 06:46:15 (Mar 14.283) 2453808.7873 14:14:55 +15:10.9 ----  (I)
15/03/2006 06:37:30 (Mar 15.276) 2453809.7806 14:16:17 +15:23.5 12.43 (V)
16/03/2006 06:14:32 (Mar 16.261) 2453810.7654 14:17:36 +15:35.9 ----  (I)


FWHM of the coma is 60 arcsec;
Diameter of the ASAS-detected coma (largest contour) is 1.5 arcmin
with a 2 arcmin tail pointing west.

Simple extrapolation predicts that tonight (Mar 16/17) comet should be visible
close to the  position: RA,DEC 14:18:55 +15:48.3 .

Images of the comet can be viewed through the following link:
http://www.astrouw.edu.pl/~gp/asas/asas_c2006_2.html

Regards, Grzegorz Pojmanski