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IAUC 8957: V2671 Oph; COMET C/2007 W1 (BOATTINI); C/2008 G5, C/2008 G6

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IAUC number 

                                                  Circular No. 8957
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://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html  ISSN 0081-0304
Phone 617-495-7440/7244/7444 (for emergency use only)


V2671 OPHIUCHI
     R. J. Rudy, D. K. Lynch, R. W. Russell, and A. M. Gilbert, The
Aerospace Corporation; and C. E. Woodward, University of Minnesota,
report 0.8- to 5.5-micron spectroscopy of V2671 Oph on June 14 UT,
obtained as above.  V2671 Oph (Nova Oph 2008 No. 2; cf. IAUC 8951)
is an "Fe II"-type nova with comparatively narrow lines of FWHM =
1200 km/s.  It is at a very low stage of excitation, showing
exceptionally bright lines of neutral carbon and strong emissison
from the Ca II infrared triplet.  The O I lines are also strong and
indicate a large interstellar reddening of E(B-V) = 2.0.  Weak,
first-overtone emission from carbon monoxide beginning at 2.29
microns is present.  No emission from dust is yet evident in the
spectrum, but the presence of molecular gas suggests that its
formation is imminent.


COMET C/2007 W1 (BOATTINI)
     A. J. Lovell, Agnes Scott College; and E. S. Howell, Arecibo
Observatory, report detection of 18-cm OH lines in comet C/2007 W1
with the 100-m Green Bank Telescope.  Hyperfine ratios of lines at
1667, 1665, 1612, and 1720 MHz are 8.6:4.8:1.1:1.  Production rates
log Q(OH) are as follows:  June 13.75 UT, 28.20; 14.79, 28.21;
15.78, 28.27.  Mapping at 8' scale suggests that collisional
quenching is present in the inner 20000 km of the coma.  Line
shapes are consistent with parent (water) outflow velocity of 0.78
km/s.
     Visual total-magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 8951) by R. Salvo,
Montevideo, Uruguay (7x50 binoculars):  June 8.95 UT, 5.6; 10.93,
5.5; 12.91, 5.5; 30.35, 6.0.


COMETS C/2008 G5 AND C/2008 G6 (SOHO)
     Further to IAUC 8956, additional apparent comets have been
found on SOHO website images.  C/2008 G5 (a Kreutz sungrazer) was
very diffuse, very faint (mag 8), and elongated.  C/2008 G6, which
was small and stellar in appearance (mag about 7.5), was suggested
by R. Kracht to be a return of the Kracht-group presumed-comet
C/2002 S11 (cf. IAUC 7991), and an orbit by B. G. Marsden on MPEC
2008-L29 links the two apparitions with an orbital period of about
5.54 yr.

 Comet        2008 UT       R.A.(2000)Decl.   Inst.  F    MPEC
 C/2008 G5    Apr. 10.018    1 24.4  + 7 12   C2     MU   2008-L29
 C/2008 G6         12.921    1 31.5  + 9 25   C2     BZ   2008-L29

                      (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 July 3                    (8957)            Daniel W. E. Green

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