We performed some follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 14 unfiltered exposures, 120-sec each, obtained remotely, from the GRAS Observatory (near Mayhill, NM) on 2011, November 29.3, through a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD, shows that this object is a comet: diffuse coma nearly 15-arcsec in diameter.
M.P.E.C. 2011-W80 assignes the following preliminary orbital elements to comet P/2011 W2: T 2011 Oct. 10.62; e= 0.51; Peri. = 210.50; q = 2.32 AU; Incl.= 14.20
Congratulations to Claudine Rinner for this new amateur comet discovery!!
by Ernesto Guido, Giovanni Sostero & Nick Howes