C/2008 Q1 (MATICIC)

La sera del 20/08/2008 alla pagina dei NEOCP: è inserito l'oggetto con sigla 88I0001.
C'è un asteroide da confermare di magnitudine 18.1 con un moto proprio di 1.43"/min.
Un occasione da non perdere.
Effettuo una prima serie di immagini da 60", faccio lo stack di 3, è l'asteoride di materializza sull'immagine.
Bene!
Faccio una serie di riprese ed estrapolo i dati astrometrici da inviare al Minor Planet Center.




Con il software Find_orb controllo i residui.
mmm, mah qualcosa non torna! L'oggetto ha un semiasse di 13 UA con una valore H di 12.5.
Rigurdo le immagini, am sinceramente non noto altro che un puntino.
Per un attimo maledico il momento in cui ho deciso (come di consitudine) di non fare il flat field, per pulire un po l'immagine.
Provo ad impostare il parametro e=1. Adesso i parametri orbitali migliorano.
E' una cometa ! La mia prima conferma (con publicazione sulle mpec) è una cometa... sarà destino che mi occupi anche di questi affascinanti oggetti del sistema solare??
Ci pensero' per adesso sono soddisfatto.
Una cosa piacevole e che altri sette osservatori Italiani hanno osservato l'oggetto... e che gente.. quais tutti i guru dell'astronomia amatoriale che si dedicano a questa attività... per un attimo mi sono sentito tra i "grandi".

M.P.E.C. 2008-Q12                                Issued 2008 Aug. 20, 22:18 UT
 
     The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars contain information on unusual
         minor planets and routine data on comets.  They are published
   on behalf of Commission 20 of the International Astronomical Union by the
          Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
                          Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.

             Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network

                              MPC@CFA.HARVARD.EDU
          URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/mpc.html  ISSN 1523-6714


                           COMET C/2008 Q1 (MATICIC)
 
Observations:
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 18.81364 19 02 50.20 +50 51 19.5          17.8 N EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 18.82325 19 02 48.28 +50 51 12.2          17.8 N EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 18.83287 19 02 46.26 +50 51 04.4          17.6 N EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 18.84247 19 02 44.35 +50 50 56.7          18.0 N EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.80954 18 59 31.39 +50 37 57.4          17.7 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81014 18 59 31.25 +50 37 57.8          17.1 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81165 18 59 31.01 +50 37 55.9                 EQ012118
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81478 18 59 30.35 +50 37 54.0                 EQ012118
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81624 18 59 30.09 +50 37 52.3          17.4 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81775 18 59 29.77 +50 37 50.8                 EQ012118
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81775 18 59 29.77 +50 37 51.1          18.5 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.81972 18 59 29.41 +50 37 49.3          17.6 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.82670 18 59 28.02 +50 37 44.2          17.2 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.82967 18 59 27.43 +50 37 40.7          17.7 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.83100 18 59 27.18 +50 37 39.8          18.2 N EQ012595
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.83199 18 59 26.99 +50 37 39.1          18.5 N EQ012B55
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.83228 18 59 26.90 +50 37 39.5          17.9 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.83600 18 59 26.16 +50 37 36.1          18.3 N EQ012595
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.83601 18 59 26.14 +50 37 35.9          17.9 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.83613 18 59 26.12 +50 37 35.9          18.3 N EQ012B55
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.84027 18 59 25.23 +50 37 32.7          18.1 N EQ012B55
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.84048 18 59 25.27 +50 37 31.9          17.7 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.84050 18 59 25.25 +50 37 32.0          18.1 N EQ012595
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.84681 18 59 24.02 +50 37 26.6          17.8 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.85288 18 59 22.79 +50 37 21.8          18.0 N EQ012B03
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.87631 18 59 18.22 +50 37 02.3                 EQ012J95
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.87653 18 59 18.10 +50 37 02.5          17.6 T EQ012235
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.87875 18 59 17.71 +50 37 00.5                 EQ012J95
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.88094 18 59 17.29 +50 36 58.7                 EQ012J95
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.89068 18 59 15.29 +50 36 50.7          17.6 T EQ012235
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.89584 18 59 14.32 +50 36 46.3                 EQ012J95
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 19.90692 18 59 12.12 +50 36 37.2          18.0 N EQ012J95
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.06617 18 58 40.78 +50 34 25.8          18.5 N EQ012H85
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.07287 18 58 39.49 +50 34 20.3          18.5 T EQ012H55
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.07769 18 58 38.55 +50 34 16.2          18.5 T EQ012H55
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.08251 18 58 37.61 +50 34 12.2          18.5 T EQ012H55
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.10289 18 58 33.53 +50 33 55.3          18.6 N EQ012H85
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.17757 18 58 18.70 +50 32 52.6          17.8 R EQ012932
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.18498 18 58 17.23 +50 32 46.5          17.7 N EQ012932
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.20460 18 58 13.35 +50 32 29.9          17.8 N EQ012932
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.48021 18 57 19.70 +50 28 38.3          18.0 N EQ012355
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.48167 18 57 19.48 +50 28 37.3                 EQ012355
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.48313 18 57 19.07 +50 28 36.6                 EQ012355
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.48459 18 57 18.85 +50 28 35.8                 EQ012355
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.54116 18 57 07.53 +50 27 47.6          18.1 N EQ012900
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.54799 18 57 06.19 +50 27 41.4                 EQ012900
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.80277 18 56 16.64 +50 24 02.8          18.4 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.80483 18 56 16.34 +50 24 02.1          18.2 N EQ012104
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.80625 18 56 16.10 +50 23 59.6          18.7 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.80974 18 56 15.37 +50 23 58.8          17.9 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.81007 18 56 15.33 +50 23 57.5          18.4 N EQ012104
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.81230 18 56 14.92 +50 23 55.2          17.7 T EQ012473
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.81308 18 56 14.75 +50 23 54.9          18.3 N EQ012104
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.81322 18 56 14.70 +50 23 54.9          17.9 T EQ012106
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.81374 18 56 14.52 +50 23 54.2          18.6 T EQ012461
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.81823 18 56 13.67 +50 23 50.6                 EQ012461
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.82273 18 56 12.81 +50 23 46.7                 EQ012461
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.82402 18 56 12.56 +50 23 45.3          18.6 T EQ012147
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.83128 18 56 11.21 +50 23 39.4          18.5 T EQ012147
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.83855 18 56 09.81 +50 23 33.4                 EQ012147
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84027 18 56 09.40 +50 23 32.4          17.8 T EQ012473
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84073 18 56 09.40 +50 23 30.6          18.3 T EQ012147
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84157 18 56 09.15 +50 23 31.0          18.1 T EQ012B20
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84281 18 56 08.92 +50 23 29.5          17.9 N EQ012B09
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84400 18 56 08.68 +50 23 29.1          18.3 N EQ012B09
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84432 18 56 08.62 +50 23 28.6          18.1 T EQ012B20
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84704 18 56 08.06 +50 23 26.3          18.3 N EQ012B09
    CK08Q010  C2008 08 20.84799 18 56 07.91 +50 23 25.2          18.0 T EQ012B20

Station data:
(104) San Marcello Pistoiese  (N44.0631 E10.8042).
(106) Crni Vrh  (N45.9459 E14.0711).
(118) Astronomical and Geophysical Observatory, Modra (N48.3732 E17.2740).
    Observers S. Gajdos, A. Galad.  0.6-m f/5.5 reflector + CCD.
(147) Osservatorio Astronomico di Suno (N45.63725 E8.57391).
(235) CAST Observatory, Talmassons  (N45.9367 E13.1144).   Observers R.
    Ligustri, V. Savani, P. Beltrame, G. Degano.  0.35-m f/5 reflector + CCD.
(355) Hadano  (N35.3884 E139.2133).
(461) University of Szeged, Piszkesteto Stn. (Konkoly) (N47.9181 E19.8943).
(473) Remanzacco  (N46.0864 E13.3164).
(595) Farra d'Isonzo (N45.9156 E13.5256).
(900) Moriyama  (N35.0465 E135.9929).
(932) John J. McCarthy Obs., New Milford  (N41.5259 W73.4261).
(B03) Alter Satzberg, Vienna  (N48.2173 E16.2698).
(B09) Capannoli  (N43.5863 E10.6708).
(B20) Observatorio Carmelita, Tiana  (N41.4845 E2.2636).
(B55) Comeglians (N46.5079 E12.8761).
(H55) Astronomical Research Observatory, Charleston (N39.4881 W88.1442).
(H85) Silver Spring  (N39.0320 W76.9971).
(J95) Great Shefford  (N51.4749 W1.4469).   Observer P. Birtwhistle.  0.30-m
    f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD.
    
 
 
Orbital elements:
    C/2008 Q1 (Maticic)
T 2009 Jan. 2.546 TT                                    MPC
q   2.94139              (2000.0)            P               Q
                   Peri.  105.645       -0.190063       -0.971123
                   Node     9.460       -0.794872       +0.065998
e   1.0            Incl.  118.672       +0.576242       -0.229268
From 67 observations 2008 Aug. 18-20.

Ephemeris:
    C/2008 Q1 (Maticic)
Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase   m1    m2
2008 08 12    19 26.88   +52 06.0    2.811    3.269   108.0    17.1  17.4
2008 08 22    18 52.45   +50 06.6    2.811    3.228   105.2    17.6  17.3
2008 09 01    18 24.10   +47 15.4    2.844    3.188   100.6    18.1  17.3
2008 09 11    18 02.45   +43 55.8    2.903    3.152    94.8    18.6  17.3
2008 09 21    17 46.82   +40 28.3    2.982    3.118    88.3    18.8  17.3
2008 10 01    17 36.14   +37 07.0    3.074    3.086    81.3    18.7  17.3
2008 10 11    17 29.34   +34 01.1    3.171    3.058    74.4    18.3  17.4
2008 10 21    17 25.48   +31 15.2    3.266    3.032    67.7    17.7  17.4

Brian G. Marsden             (C) Copyright 2008 MPC           M.P.E.C. 2008-Q12


-------------------------------------------------------
                                             Circular No. 8966
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)


COMET C/2008 Q1 (MATICIC)
     A moving object of stellar appearance discovered by Stanislav
Maticic on four 40-s R-band CCD images taken with the 60-cm f/3.3
Cichocki robotic telescope in strong moonlight in the course of
the Comet and Asteroid Search Program at Crni Vrh Observatory
(discovery observation tabulated below) has been found by other
observers to show cometary appearance.  H. Mikuz adds that a
series of 1-min unfiltered exposures obtained with the same
telescope around Aug. 19.816 UT under darker sky conditions show
that the object has a somewhat-diffuse appearance (coma diameter
about 10") with strong condensation.  Following posting on the
Minor Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, other CCD observers have
also noted the object's cometary appearance.  R. Ligustri
(Talmassons, Udine, Italy, 0.35-m f/5 reflector, Aug. 19.9)
reports that twenty 120-s co-added images show a short tail
elongation about 18" long.  R. Holmes and H. Devore (Charleston,
IL, U.S.A., 0.81-m f/4.0 astrograph, Aug. 20.07-20.08) report that
the object appears diffuse with a wide tail extending 37".3 in p.a.
87.9 deg.  K. Sarneczky (0.60-m Schmidt telescope at Konkoly
Observatory, Aug. 20.8, 360-s co-added image) writes that the comet
shows a 8" coma and a tail 10" long in p.a. 120 deg.  J. M. Aymami
(Tiana, Spain, 0.25-m f/4.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector, Aug.
20.8) notes that co-added images show a distinctly nebulous object
with slight oval shape (about 9" long along its major axis).  V.
Gonano, E. Guido, and G. Sostero (Remanzacco, Italy, 0.45-m f/4.4
reflector, Aug. 20.8) write that sixteen 60-s co-added unfiltered
exposures show a coma diameter of about 10" and a broad tail 15"
long toward p.a. 122 deg.  S. Foglia (Novara Veveri, Italy, 0.40-m
f/4 reflector, Aug. 20.8) reports that images obtained by P.
Concari, D. Crespi, G. Galli, O. Lesca, S. Minuto, and himself show
the comet to be diffuse with a 10" coma.

     2008 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.       Mag.
     Aug. 18.81364   19 02 50.20   +50 51 19.5   17.8

The available astrometry, the following preliminary parabolic
orbital elements, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2008-Q12.

     T = 2009 Jan.  2.546 TT          Peri. = 105.645
                                      Node  =   9.460   2000.0
     q = 2.94139 AU                   Incl. = 118.672

                      (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 August 20                 (8966)            Daniel W. E. Green