Electronic Telegram No. 496
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/2006 H1 (McNAUGHT)
     R. H. McNaught reports his discovery on a comet on CCD images
taken with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt (discovery observation tabulated
below) in the course of the Siding Spring Survey, the object having
an asteroidal head with a very weak, diffuse tail 8" long in p.a.
about 250 deg.  Following posting on the 'NEO Confirmation Page',
A. C. Gilmore reports that his CCD images taken on Apr. 30.7 UT with
the 1.0-m f/7.7 reflector at Mount John through cirrus clouds show
a small, condensed head with a narrow tail to the west-southwest.
Images taken by J. Young with the Table Mountain 0.6-m Cassegrain
reflector on May 1.5 in twilight show a round 6" coma with no
noticeable central condensation and no tail.

     2006 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.
     Apr. 29.78705   22 29 25.44   -19 35 46.1   17.9

The available astrometry, the following preliminary elliptical
orbital elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2006-J06.

     T = 2006 Feb. 24.566 TT          Peri. = 285.416
     e = 0.38667                      Node  = 357.078   2000.0
     q = 2.15508 AU                   Incl. =  13.045
       a =  3.51371 AU     n = 0.149642     P =   6.6 years



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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2006 CBAT
2006 May 1                       (CBET 496)               Daniel W. E. Green