Hi all, this comes from Terry, I'm sure he won't mind me posting this here, oh wouldn't it be great to have a potential new hale bopp in early 2013!!!
Hi all,
Well, I did say that I was puzzled by the ephemeris! In particular the m1 values versus the figures for 'r' (distance from Earth) and delta (distance from Sun), which seemed to place it still very far away.
It seems that because the columns were displaced relative to the headings, what appeared to be the m1 values were in fact the phase angle values! So the figures which seemed to indicate a current brightness of about 2nd magnitude are in fact the angle relative to the Sun!
So the comet IS still far away, but could become bright early in 2013 (It's a bit like Hale-Bopp, which was discovered when it was still very far away).
So just enjoy the anticipation instead!
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
Hi all,
Breaking news - new comet discovered by Pan-STARRS - could be quite good. It's currently in E Libra, about 12 degrees NNW of Antares, and should be visible as soon as the sky gets dark.
The following details were forwarded by Prof Mark Bailey, Director of Armagh Observatory.
The first set of figures are the discovery and confirming/follow-up observations. The next set is the orbital elements. Then follows an ephemeris showing positions since discovery (9 May, 24 May, and 1 June), then daily positions for 0h for the period 7, 8, and 9 June, then for 15 and 23 June, and then 8 July.
The comet is moving slowly NNW.
m1 is the total integrated magnitude; m2 is the magnitude of the nucleus alone (I think!).
There are some aspects of the ephemeris which puzzle me, but I'm forwarding this anyway, right away, to give you as much notice as possible.
Good luck!
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
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This looks promising... Mark
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 18:57:55 +0000 (UTC)
From: "gwilliams@cfa.harvard.edu"
To: MEB@star.arm.ac.uk
Subject: MPEC L33: COMET C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)
M.P.E.C. 2011-L33 Issued 2011 June 8, 18:06 UT
The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars contain information on unusual
minor planets and routine data on comets. They are published
on behalf of Commission 20 of the International Astronomical Union by the
Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network
MPC@CFA.HARVARD.EDU
URL
www.minorplanetcenter.net/
ISSN 1523-6714
COMET C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)
Observations:
CK11L040 C2011 05 24.30898 16 18 15.48 -16 47 17.8 19.1
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 05 24.31484 16 18 15.26 -16 47 17.7 19.0
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 05 24.32077 16 18 15.04 -16 47 17.5 18.9
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 05 24.32660 16 18 14.86 -16 47 17.3 19.2
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 06.38910 16 10 41.089-16 38 39.86 19.4
TLEL033F51
CK11L040 C2011 06 06.40357 16 10 40.579-16 38 39.34 19.5
TLEL033F51
CK11L040 C2011 06 06.41801 16 10 40.067-16 38 38.81 19.6
TLEL033F51
CK11L040 C2011 06 06.43244 16 10 39.557-16 38 38.19 19.6
TLEL033F51
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.24743816 10 11.24 -16 38 08.5 19.1
TrEL033H21
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.25185516 10 11.09 -16 38 08.3 19.1
TrEL033H21
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.25642416 10 10.95 -16 38 08.1 19.1
TrEL033H21
CK11L040 C2011 06 07.31225 16 10 08.97 -16 38 06.1 19.0
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 07.31729 16 10 08.79 -16 38 05.8 18.9
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 07.32229 16 10 08.61 -16 38 05.6 19.2
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 07.32731 16 10 08.47 -16 38 05.6 19.7
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.34834 16 10 07.71 -16 38 04.6 19.3
TrEL033H10
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.35623 16 10 07.41 -16 38 04.3 19.8
TrEL033H10
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.36412 16 10 07.13 -16 38 03.8 19.9
TrEL033H10
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.38842 16 10 06.32 -16 38 04.6 19.2
TrEL033H10
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.39689 16 10 06.03 -16 38 03.9 18.8
TrEL033H10
CK11L040 KC2011 06 07.40537 16 10 05.72 -16 38 03.1 19.0
TrEL033H10
CK11L040 2C2011 06 07.44387216 10 04.403-16 38 00.98 19.2
ToEL033568
CK11L040 2C2011 06 07.44477716 10 04.371-16 38 00.94 19.2
ToEL033568
CK11L040 2C2011 06 07.44567916 10 04.339-16 38 00.91 19.2
ToEL033568
CK11L040 %C2011 06 07.53026616 10 01.37 -16 37 57.8 19.0
ToEL033F65
CK11L040 %C2011 06 07.53177916 10 01.31 -16 37 57.7 19.0
ToEL033F65
CK11L040 %C2011 06 07.53326616 10 01.26 -16 37 57.7 19.0
ToEL033F65
CK11L040 C2011 06 08.28686 16 09 35.24 -16 37 30.5 18.9
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 08.29444 16 09 34.95 -16 37 30.0 18.8
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 08.30198 16 09 34.70 -16 37 30.1 18.9
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 C2011 06 08.30957 16 09 34.41 -16 37 29.6 18.7
TrEL033G96
CK11L040 |C2011 06 08.31727 16 09 34.22 -16 37 29.2
cEL033H06
CK11L040 |C2011 06 08.31917 16 09 34.13 -16 37 29.2
cEL033H06
CK11L040 |C2011 06 08.32108 16 09 34.06 -16 37 29.1 18.5
TcEL033H06
Observer details:
568 Mauna Kea. Observer L. Wells. Measurers D. J. Tholen, R. J. Wainscoat.
3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.
F51 Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala. Observers N. Primak, A. Schultz, S. Watters,
J. Thiel, T. Goggia. Measurer PS1 Science Consortium. 1.8-m
Ritchey-Chretien + CCD.
F65 Haleakala-Faulkes Telescope North. Observer T. Lister. 2.0-m f/10
Ritchey-Chretien + CCD.
G96 Mt. Lemmon Survey. Observers S. M. Larson, A. D. Grauer, A. Boattini.
Measurers J. D. Ahern, E. C. Beshore, A. Boattini, G. J. Garradd,
A. R. Gibbs, A. D. Grauer, R. E. Hill, R. A. Kowalski, S. M. Larson,
R. H. McNaught. 1.5-m reflector + CCD.
H06 RAS Observatory, Mayhill. Observer H. Sato. 0.50-m f/4.5 reflector + CCD.
H10 Tzec Maun Observatory, Mayhill. Observers G. Sostero, E. Guido. 0.2-m
f/7.9 refractor + CCD, 0.35-m f/3.8 reflector + CCD.
H21 Astronomical Research Observatory, Westfield. Observer R. Holmes.
Measurers S. Foglia, T. Vorobjov. 0.61-m f/4.0 astrograph + CCD.
Orbital elements:
C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)
T 2013 Apr. 17.12358 TT MPC
q 0.3643742 (2000.0) P Q
Peri. 331.66357 +0.27396023 +0.40808751
Node 64.22546 +0.95797994 -0.03578873
e 1.0 Incl. 104.74223 -0.08497190 +0.91224106
> From 34 observations 2011 May 24-June 8.
Ephemeris:
C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)
Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 m2
2011 05 09 16 26 39.0 -16 57 41 7.4462 8.4002 159.7 2.4 19.1
...
2011 05 24 16 18 26.1 -16 47 30 7.2683 8.2766 174.4 0.7 19.0
...
2011 06 01 16 13 48.9 -16 42 06 7.2030 8.2103 173.0 0.9 18.9
...
2011 06 07 16 10 19.9 -16 38 17 7.1677 8.1605 167.2 1.6 18.9
2011 06 08 16 09 45.2 -16 37 40 7.1630 8.1521 166.2 1.7 18.9
2011 06 09 16 09 10.6 -16 37 04 7.1585 8.1438 165.1 1.8 18.9
...
2011 06 15 16 05 45.5 -16 33 40 7.1384 8.0937 158.8 2.6 18.8
...
2011 06 23 16 01 22.2 -16 29 52 7.1283 8.0268 150.3 3.6 18.8
...
2011 07 08 15 53 59.3 -16 25 46 7.1561 7.9004 134.4 5.3 18.7 
