Electronic Telegram No. 153
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 K1 (SKIFF)
     B. A. Skiff, Lowell Observatory, reports his discovery of
a comet on images taken by himself with the 0.59-m LONEOS Schmidt
telescope (discovery observation below).  The object has a 16"
moderately condensed coma, and a narrow fan-shaped tail extends
about 90" in p.a. 325 deg.  Following posting on the 'NEO Confirmation
Page', R. Trentman (Louisburg, KS, 0.75-m reflector) writes that his
CCD images from May 17.3 show a coma extended 1'.3 in p.a. 305 deg.
Also, P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford, Berkshire, U.K., 0.30-m
f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector) writes that his CCD images taken
on May 17.91 UT show a moderately condensed 12" coma and a broad,
20"-long tail in p.a. 320 deg (possibly extending to 50").

     2005 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.
     May  16.33803   17 54 16.68   +65 15 46.2   16.9

The available astrometry, the following very uncertain parabolic
orbital elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2005-K15.

     T = 2005 Nov. 15.68 TT           Peri. = 128.25
                                      Node  = 102.11    2000.0
     q = 4.2242 AU                    Incl. =  79.58


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      superseded by text appearing later in the formal IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT
2005 May 17                      (CBET 153)               Daniel W. E. Green