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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2445      2008 May 08 13.08UT
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
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COMET C/2008 J2 (BESHORE)
E. Beshore reports on IAUC 8941 his discovery of a comet with a bright,
condensed condensation about 20" across and a faint tail in p.a. 270 deg
on images taken with the Mt. Lemmon 1.5-m reflector. After an appeal
from the Minor Planet Center, J. C. Pelle reported a diffuse head and a
tail in p.a. 250 deg on images taken by N. Teamo, French Polynesia
(0.41-m reflector) on May 6.52-6.56 UT.

Giovanni Sostero and Ernesto Guido, Remanzacco, Italy have submiited
images to TAHQ which were obtained on May 6.95 and 7.36UT.

Peter Birtwhistle, Great Shefford, England (0.40-m reflector), also
reports that based on images of May 6.96-6.97, the comet was diffuse
with a concentrated centre, the 22" coma having a softer edge towards
p.a. 260 deg but no obvious tail.

Discovery:
2008 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.
May   6.44680   17 06 21.38   -13 33 36.1   13.8

Brian Marsden reports on M.P.E.C. 2008-J30:

Orbital elements:
T 2008 Oct. 7.073 TT                                    MPC
q   1.09077              (2000.0)            P               Q
                   Peri.  256.546       +0.909567       +0.303299
                   Node    85.219       -0.173731       +0.898526
e   1.0            Incl.   16.563       -0.377499       +0.317270
>From 77 observations 2008 May 6-7.

Ephemeris:
    C/2008 J2 (Beshore)
Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta      r    Elong. Phase m1
2008 05 04    17 07.28   -13 30.2  1.647    2.544  145.6  12.9 14.1
2008 05 14    17 02.37   -13 47.3  1.470    2.428  156.0   9.8 13.7
2008 05 24    16 54.32   -14 15.4  1.315    2.312  166.4   5.9 13.2
2008 06 03    16 43.20   -14 57.6  1.186    2.196  172.6   3.4 12.8
2008 06 13    16 29.61   -15 56.8  1.082    2.079  164.8   7.3 12.3
2008 06 23    16 14.73   -17 14.5  1.003    1.963  152.8  13.7 11.9

EDITOR'S ABSENCE
The editor will away on astronomical matters and unavailable from Friday
May 9 to Monday May 12. During that period please contact Nick James for
any urgent messages (potential discoveries) but also send a copy to the
editor's mailbox which may be monitored on a 'read-only' basis during
that period.

Guy M Hurst