Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 8193: C/2002 CE_10; Sats OF NEPTUNE
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Circular No. 8193
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 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 ISSN 0081-0304
Phone 617-495-7440/7244/7444 (for emergency use only)
COMET C/2002 CE_10 (LINEAR)
N. Takato, T. Sekiguchi, and J. Watanabe, National
Astronomical Observatory of Japan, obtained nine CCD images with
the 8.2-m Subaru telescope of the apparently asteroidal object 2002
CE_10 (first reported by the LINEAR team, whose discovery
observation is given below; originally announced on MPEC 2002-C83
and MPS 50101) on Aug. 22.4 UT that show a very faint, straight
tail about 21" long in p.a. 212 deg; the tail is also present on
shorter exposures from Aug. 21.5-21.6, when any coma as bright as
the tail must have been < 6" in diameter. Recent astrometry,
orbital elements (T = 2003 June 22, Peri. = 126 deg, Node = 147
deg, i = 145 deg, e = 0.79, P = 30.8 yr), and an ephemeris appear
on MPEC 2003-R20.
2002 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag.
Feb. 6.31522 9 15 20.96 +28 05 14.5 19.4
SATELLITES OF NEPTUNE
On Sept. 1, S. S. Sheppard, University of Hawaii, reported to
the Minor Planet Center the discovery by D. C. Jewitt, J. Kleyna,
and himself of a possible new satellite (mag R = 26) of Neptune
with the 8.2-m Subaru reflector at Mauna Kea on Aug. 29.3 and 30.3
UT. He also reported observations from the same nights of S/2002 N
1 (IAUC 8047, MPEC 2003-A75). Later that day, in response to a
request by B. G. Marsden (Minor Planet Center), M. Holman, Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, reported observations by J.
Kavelaars and himself with the 4-m Blanco reflector at Cerro Tololo
on Aug. 21.1 UT of S/2002 N 1, as well as observations on Aug. 19.0
of another Neptunian-satellite candidate that Holman felt might
conceivably be identical with a satellite candidate observed in the
same manner on 2001 Aug. 11.1. Computations by Marsden showed the
new Sheppard and Holman objects to be same and that identity with
the 2001 object was a distinct possibility. Holman was then able
to locate this object, now designated S/2003 N 1, on two nights in
each of July 2003 and Aug. 2002 (with T. Grav and W. Fraser as
participating observers). The complete set of observations and a
linked orbit by Marsden (a = 0.33 AU, e = 0.27, i = 124 deg, H =
10.8) are given on MPEC 2003-R19. The 2003 observations (including
also some from June 3 and July 29 with the 6.5-m Clay reflector at
Las Campanas) of S/2002 N 1 are given on MPEC 2003-R18, together
with Marsden's improved orbit (a = 0.11 AU, e = 0.26, i = 112 deg,
H = 9.8).
(C) Copyright 2003 CBAT
2003 September 3 (8193) Daniel W. E. Green
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