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New comet C/2012 A2 (LINEAR)
January 19, 2012
C/2012 A2 (LINEAR) was discovered by the LINEAR survey on 2012, Jan. 15.41 with a 1.0-m f/2.15 reflector + CCD located near Socorro, New Mexico.
It was subsequently placed on the NEO Confirmation Page, where other observatories (including me at 204, P. Birtwhistle from Great Shefford-J95, H. Sato remotely from GRAS-H06 and R. Holmes et al. from H21-ARI) confirmed it as a comet.
I observed it in good sky conditions but in presence of the Moon (54% illuminated about 55° away): I measured a compact coma 15″ wide, elongated toward the west.
Results were published in CBET 2977 (subscription required) and astrometry, together with preliminary parabolic orbital elements, in MPEC 2012-B05.
