New comet P/2011 JB15 (Spacewatch-Boattini)

June 01, 2011
P/2011 JB15 (Spacewatch-Boattini) was originally discovered as an asteroid by Spacewatch team using the 0.90-m f/3 reflector + CCD from Kitt Peak, Arizona – USA, on 2011, May 8 and 12, and designated by the Minor Planet Center 2011 JB15.

On May 28.33 Andrea Boattini, in the course of the Mount Lemmon Sky Survey (part of the Catalina Sky Survey), Arizona – USA discovered an object he recognized as a comet with the 1.5-m f/2 reflector + CCD. It was subsequently placed on the NEO Confirmation Page of the Minor Planet Center under the temporary designation SK8D595.
I was able to image it two days after its discovery, on the night between May 29 and 30, thanks to the very good weather conditions all over the month, usually the rainest of the year here on my site; it was still in the NEO Confirmation Page, located in the sky in the constellation Serpens Cauda.
The sky was clear with good seeing so I could confirm its cometary feature: in the total stack (34 min of exposure time) the comet has a FWHM around 30% larger than stars nearby of similar brightness, with a 8″ compact coma elongated in PA around 250°.
The discovery was announced on IAUC 9210 (subscription required) and the astrometry published on MPEC 2011-K56, in which the MPC linked the object with 2011 JB15, thus the designation Spacewatch-Boattini.
This was the 17th comet discovered or co-discovered by Andrea Boattini (including 206P/Barnard-Boattini), the most prolific Italian comet discoverer of all time.

by Luca Buzzi