New Comet C/2020 F7 (Lemmon)

March 27, 2021
CBET 4949 & MPEC 2021-F110, issued on 2021, March 25, announce that an apparently asteroidal object (magnitude ~21.0) discovered on CCD images obtained with the Mt. Lemmon Survey's 1.5-m reflector on 2020 Mar. 22 and designated A/2020 F7 (cf. MPEC 2020-G78) has been found to show cometary appearance by numerous other CCD observers over the past half year. The new comet has been designated C/2020 F7 (Lemmon).

Stacking of 19 unfiltered exposures, 120 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2021, March 23.9 from Z08 (Telescope Live, Oria) through a 0.7 m f/8 Ritchey Chretien + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a compact coma about 15" in diameter elongated toward PA 50. (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, M. Fulle, G. Milani, C. Nassef, G. Savini).

MPEC 2021-F110, assigns the following preliminary orbital elements to comet  C/2020 F7 (Lemmon): T 2021 Nov. 14.1; e= 0.99; Peri. =  227.97; q = 5.33 ;  Incl.= 93.95

by Ernesto Guido