New Comet: P/2011 P1 (McNaught)

August 09, 2011
Cbet nr.2779, issued on 2011, August 05, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude 18.5) by R. H. McNaught on CCD images taken with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring on August 1.7, 2011. The new comet has been designated P/2011 P1 (McNaught).

We performed some follow-up measurements of this object with the "Faulkes-Telescope North" on August 05, 2011

Stacking of 12 R-filtered exposures, 60-sec each, obtained remotely, from the Faulkes Telescope North at Haleakala on 2011, August 05.6, through a 2.0-m f/10.0 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD under good seiing conditions, shows that this object is very diffuse and elongated toward the northeast/southwest direction (possible anti-tail?). Moreover it is present an apparent tail toward the north-west.

M.P.E.C. 2011-P19 assignes the following very preliminary orbital elements to comet P/2011 P1: T 2009 Mar. 24.83; e= 0.31; Peri. =228.84; q = 2.35 AU; Incl.= 5.43

According to COCD webpage this is the 80th comet for the Siding Spring Survey and the 64th for McNaught.

by H. Blyth, E. Guido, N. Howes and G. Sostero

Source:
http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-comet-p2011-p1-mcnaught.html