We performed follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp.  Stacking of 10 unfiltered exposures, 60-sec each, obtained remotely from MPC code Q62 (iTelescope Observatory, Siding Spring) on 2013, September 08.7, through a 0.32-m f/9.0 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD, shows that this object is a comet: sharp central condensation surrounded by a coma about 25" in diameter and a tail about 40" in PA 245.

M.P.E.C. 2013-R72 assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2013 R1: T 2013 Dec. 25.78; e= 1.0; Peri. = 63.26; q = 0.87;  Incl.= 61.94

Below you can see a graph generated using the software Orbitas and showing the predicted magnitude (in red) versus the elongation. Click on the image for a bigger version. (A word of caution: as always with comets, the future magnitudes reported here are only indicative).

You can read here the discovery story written by Terry Lovejoy.

by Ernesto Guido & Nick Howes