Electronic Telegram No. 152
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)
URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


COMET C/2005 J2 (CATALINA)
     An apparently asteroidal object discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey
(discovery position below) and placed on The NEO Confirmation Page was
reported by J. Young (Table Mountain Observatory, 0.6-m reflector + CCD) on
May 13.3 UT as being 3" across and possibly cometary, although this was far
from certain because of extensive cirrus.  Marginal-quality 60-second exposures
at 1.7 airmasses by E. Beshore (Mount Lemmon Survey, 1.5-m reflector + CCD) on
May 14.2 UT showed a possible faint coma 5-7 arcsec across and a faint tail
about 10-arcsec long in p.a. about 100 deg.

     2005 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     May  12.16068   11 35 53.42   -13 12 58.1   18.9   Catalina

     The full set of 59 astrometric observations, preliminary equinox 2000.0
parabolic orbital elements (T = 2005 Mar. 30, Peri. = 199 deg, Node = 33 deg,
i = 151 deg, q = 4.28 AU) and an ephemeris are given on MPEC 2005-K01.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
      superseded by text appearing later in the formal IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT
2005 May 16                      (CBET 152)               Brian G. Marsden