Electronic Telegram No. 162
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 P/2005 L1 (McNAUGHT)
     R. H. McNaught has reported his discovery of a comet (discovery position
below) with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt in the course of the Siding Spring
Survey.  On June 2.7 UT 60-s exposures showed a very weak, diffuse coma
extending westward up to 10".  After placement on the NEO Confirmation Page
observations were reported by others, including S. Foglia (Osservatorio
Astronomico di Suno, 0.4-m f/4 reflector), who described the object as
diffuse.  On June 3.5 McNaught described the appearance as almost stellar,
with a 10" diffuse tail to the west.

     2005 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     June  2.66008   16 43 25.63   -11 51 02.4   16.7   McNaught

     The full set of 42 astrometric observations (including prediscovery
observations by LINEAR on May 16.3 and by NEAT on June 2.4), preliminary
equinox 2000.0 elliptical orbital elements (T = 2005 Dec. 3, Peri. = 149 deg,
Node = 138 deg, i = 8 deg, q = 3.10 AU, e = 0.22) and an ephemeris are given
on MPEC 2005-L08.


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      superseded by text appearing later in the formal IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT
2005 June 3                      (CBET 162)               Brian G. Marsden