Electronic Telegram No. 83
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
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COMET P/2004 R3 (LINEAR-NEAT)
     On Sept. 15 the NEAT project, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reported to the
Minor Planet Center observations from Sept. 13 of a cometary object observed
at Palomar in collaboration with M. Brown, California Institute of Technology.
Observations with the 1.2-m Schmidt showed the object to be diffuse with a
coma about 5" across and condensation of 2" but no evident tail.  The Minor
Planet Center then established that the object was identical with an
unremarkable, presumed main-belt minor planet for which it had linked
observations from Sept. 10 and 13 reported by LINEAR.  The two "discovery"
observations are as follows:

     2004 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Sept.10.29965    0 37 23.60   +14 18 11.9   20.1   LINEAR
          13.26186    0 35 27.70   +14 21 11.6   19.1   NEAT

     Following placement on The NEO Confirmation Page further observations
were received, among them a report from G. Jones, Tucson, AZ (0.32-m
Ritchey-Chretien), to the effect that on Sept. 16.20 UT the object had a
coma of diameter 3" and a 10" tail in p.a. 230 deg; as well as one from
J. Young, Table Mountain Observatory (0.6-m reflector), remarking that on
Sept. 16.23 there was a 5" coma (with no apparent central condensation) and a
fan-shaped tail between p.a. 210 and 270 deg extending about 8"; a straight,
narrow spike extended 40" in p.a. 236 deg.
     The full set of 32 astrometric observations, equinox 2000.0 orbital
elements (T = 2004 May 23, Peri. = 5 deg, Node = 319 deg, i = 8 deg, q =
2.14 AU, P = 7.6 years) and an ephemeris are given on MPEC 2004-S02.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are intended to
      be preliminary announcements of items that later appear in the
      formal IAU Circulars.  Citations should normally be made to IAUCs
      rather than to CBETs.

                         (C) Copyright 2004 CBAT
2004 September 16                 (CBET 83)               Brian G. Marsden