------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2268 2006 Oct 05 14.36UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074 INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET C/2006 T1 (LEVY) David H. Levy, USA, has visually discovered a diffuse comet of magnitude 10.5 near to Saturn on 2006 October 2 using a 0.41-m reflector. Subsequent CCD imaging with a 0.36-m telescope allowed the following precise position to be obtained: 2006 UT RA (2000) DEC Oct. 2.50061 9 37 29.47 +15 52 43.1 Peter Birtwhistle, Great Shefford, e-mailed TAHQ at 06.05 on October 3 to report that having noted the object posted to the NEO Confirmation Web Page as object J01E42 he imaged it with a 0.40-m Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and CCD from station J95 on October 3.17063-3.19295. He found the object circular but clearly cometary with a coma diameter of 4.5 arc minutes with a concentrated but non-stellar centre. A thin straight tail of 14 arc minutes length was also recorded in PA 295 degrees. The tail was 10 arc seconds wide as it left the coma but fanning out to 2 arc minutes wide as it faded into the sky background. The total magnitude (m1) was measured as 11.2 in a 66 arc second aperture and m2 as 13.0 in a 13 arc second aperture. Selected measures: 2006 10 03.17063 09 40 09.12 +15 26 38.2 J95 2006 10 03.17593 09 40 10.36 +15 26 25.6 J95 2006 10 03.18951 09 40 13.56 +15 25 54.1 J95 2006 10 03.19066 09 40 13.83 +15 25 51.1 J95 2006 10 03.19181 09 40 14.12 +15 25 48.4 14.0 N J95 2006 10 03.19295 09 40 14.39 +15 25 45.9 11.2 T Richard Miles, Stourton Caundle, UK using a 0.06-m refractor obtained CCD frames on Oct.3.2 show a total V magnitude of 9.5 in a 3' aperture. Ernesto Guido and Giovanni Sostero in Italy also e-mailed TAHQ to report observing the comet using a remote 0.25-m f/3.4 reflector in New Mexico with CCD images of Oct. 3.48 showing a coma diameter of 3' and a tail 2' long toward PA297 degrees. Dan Green reports on IAUC 8757 the following preliminary orbital elements: T = 2006 Oct. 9.226 TT Peri. = 181.745 Node = 284.416 2000.0 q = 1.07182 AU Incl. = 19.117 Brian Marsden, Minor Planet Center, reporting on M.P.E.C. 2006-T21 has provided an ephemeris: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. m1 m2 2006 10 02 09 35.48 +16 12.2 1.458 1.079 47.7 11.1 2006 10 12 10 13.69 +09 39.1 1.477 1.073 46.6 11.2 2006 10 22 10 48.49 +03 09.2 1.512 1.093 46.2 11.3 2006 11 01 11 20.27 -03 00.2 1.559 1.136 46.6 11.5 2006 11 11 11 49.39 -08 39.5 1.611 1.200 48.0 11.8 2006 11 21 12 16.10 -13 44.6 1.664 1.280 50.1 12.2 2006 12 01 12 40.50 -18 15.4 1.715 1.372 53.1 12.5 Guy M Hurst