Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams

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IAUC 8257: P/2003 XD_10; 2003kz

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                                                  Circular No. 8257
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 P/2003 XD_10 (LINEAR-NEAT)
     An apparently asteroidal object with not-unusual motion
reported on Dec. 4 and 5 by the LINEAR project, and designated 2003
XD_10 on MPS 92917 (discovery observation below), was independently
discovered with the NEAT 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar on Dec.
14.4 (discovery observation below) and reported then to be cometary
(with a faint short tail toward the east-southeast) by K. J.
Lawrence.  Following posting on the NEO Confirmation Page, several
other CCD observers have also noted the object's cometary nature,
including P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford, Berkshire, England,
0.30-m reflector; on Dec. 14.9, from co-added images totaling 15
min exposure, diffuse coma of diameter 10", extended in p.a. about
260 deg, surrounding a central condensation of mag 19.4; on Dec.
15.9, 8" coma and 45" tail in p.a. 255 deg), J. E. McGaha (Tucson,
AZ, 0.36-m reflector; on Dec. 16.3, three co-added 1-min frames
show a small starlike condensation with a 8" coma), J. Young (Table
Mountain, CA, 0.6-m reflector; on Dec. 17.3, 3" asymmetric coma
with a hint of tail about 12" long in p.a. 250-260 deg), and R.
Fredrick and R. Trentman (Louisburg, KS, 0.75-m reflector; on Dec.
17.4, broad fan-shaped tail 20" long in p.a. 240 deg).

     2003 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.   Observer
     Dec.  4.33554    6 52 35.22   +41 38 56.6   19.2   LINEAR
          14.43141    6 45 02.68   +43 35 49.0   20.1   NEAT

Additional astrometry, the following preliminary elliptical orbital
elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2003-Y16.

     T = 2003 Sept.16.8716 TT         Peri. =   9.1651
     e = 0.436418                     Node  =  43.5591  2000.0
     q = 1.881255 AU                  Incl. =  14.7293
       a =  3.338032 AU    n = 0.1616100    P =   6.1 years


SUPERNOVA 2003kz IN MCG +09-16-34
     Further to IAUC 8245, T. Boles reports the discovery of an
apparent supernova (mag 18.5) on unfiltered CCD images taken on
Dec. 16.092 and 17.186 UT.  The new object is located at R.A. =
9h38m35s.27, Decl. = +52o17'53".2, which is approximately 9".5 west
and 11".1 north of the center of MCG +09-16-34.  SN 2003kz is not
present on Boles' images from Sept. 29 and Oct. 24 (limiting mag
19.5) or on Digitized Sky Survey red (1995) or blue (1993) plates.

                      (C) Copyright 2003 CBAT
2003 December 17               (8257)            Daniel W. E. Green

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