[BAA Comets] DM001 EPHEMERIS

Fri Nov 9 15:18:26 GMT 2018

Helen / Denis,

Unfortunately the current solar elongation of about 40 degrees makes it unobservable from all of the Las Cumbres Observatory telescopes. Looks like the elongation may be decreasing as well.

Here's an example of the utility of having your own scope in the back garden. It's a morning object visible around 5.30 UT from the UK.

Discovery of a bright comet is exceedingly difficult so this is testimony to Don Macholz's near superhuman efforts to do just this: something that deserves a hearty congratulations from us all.

Looking at images posted to the Web makes me think that the object has recently undergone a significant outburst, given its 'spherical halo' appearance. The last discovery by a visual observer of a comet occurred in almost the same scenario back on 2010 Nov 02.83 when  Kaoru Ikeya and Shigeki Murakami spotted P/2010 V1 (Ikeya-Murakami) from their respective observatories in Japan. It was because that object had had an outburst close to perihelion that precipitated its discovery. We may be witnesssing a similar event here now.

Richard Miles
BAA
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Helen Usher 
  To: BAA Comets discussion list ; denis buczynski 
  Sent: Friday, November 09, 2018 2:33 PM
  Subject: Re: [BAA Comets] DM001 EPHEMERIS

  Thanks Jon.  The field of view of the FT 2m telescopes is quite small - 10.5 x 10.5 arcmin.  So it sounds like it would be good to resubmit after a couple of days.  The FT have access to 2 2m scopes, one in Hawaii and one in Siding Springs, so the comet will be much better positioned that from here!  It might also be worth utilising their small scopes (1m or 0.4m) to get a bigger FOV and so a greater margin for divergence.

  Helen

  On Friday, 9 November 2018, 14:21:26 GMT, Shanklin, Jonathan D. <jdsh at bas.ac.uk> wrote: 

  Although the designation is likely to be 2018 V1, this is not guaranteed, hence the use of DM001 as a preliminary designation.

  I’m not sure what the field of view of the Faulkes Telescope is, but the Nakano ephemeris and that based on the latest observations diverge by at least 6 minutes by November 15.  You should be OK for a couple of days, but it might then be worth a resubmission.  Also the comet will be quite low – I think around 20 degrees altitude at the start of twilight.

  Regards,

  Jon Shanklin

  Visual Co-ordinator, BAA Comet Section

  http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/

  From: Comets-disc <comets-disc-bounces at lists.britastro.org> On Behalf Of Helen Usher
  Sent: 09 November 2018 14:03
  To: denis buczynski <buczynski8166 at btinternet.com>; BAA Comets discussion list <comets-disc at lists.britastro.org>
  Subject: Re: [BAA Comets] DM001 EPHEMERIS

  Hi Jon,

  Thanks for this.  I've just submitted an observation run request to the Faulkes Telescope and have used their MPC lookup using the designation 2018 V1.  I've asked for one image a day for 6 days.  Do you think the elements will be robust enough to last 6 days, or should I resubmit each day in case the elements get refined?

  Thanks

  Helen

  On Friday, 9 November 2018, 13:57:57 GMT, Shanklin, Jonathan D. <jdsh at bas.ac.uk> wrote: 

  The orbit is still rather fluid, but the ephemeris from Nakano on the CBET is probably no longer valid.

  This ephemeris uses the latest PCCP orbit:

  Ephemeris for   DM001     DM001

  Omega= 80.0525 OMEGA=125.3290 i=149.1079 q= 0.429752 a= 51.051556

  e=0.991582  P=  364.765  T= 2018 December   2.9708    Equinox= 2000

  Magnitudes calculated from m=10.9+5.0*Log(d)+15.0*Log(r)+0.000*Beta

  Station: Cambridge

  Latitude:  52.213  Longitude:    0.000   Magnetic variation:   0.0

  Observing constraints:   Sun below -13. deg  Object above***** deg

  November  2018                 Positions for 00:00 ET, Times in UT

                                                                                         Elong  Moon  Comet

  Day     R.A. B1950 Dec   R.A. J2000 Dec   Mag    D      R    Trans    Observable    Sun Moon Phase Tail  pA d RA dDec

    9/10  12 25.1   -2.02  12 27.6   -2.18   8.8   1.08   0.71   9.12   4.42 to  5.47   40   69    5   19  294    0    0

  10/11  12 30.4   -1.54  12 32.9   -2.10   8.6   1.04   0.69   9.14   4.38 to  5.48   40   80   11   22  295   32    3

  11/12  12 36.1   -1.46  12 38.7   -2.03   8.4   1.00   0.68   9.15   4.35 to  5.50   40   91   18   26  295   35    3

  12/13  12 42.4   -1.38  12 44.9   -1.55   8.1   0.97   0.66   9.18   4.32 to  5.51   39  102   26   30  296   39    3

  13/14  12 49.2   -1.31  12 51.8   -1.47   7.8   0.93   0.64   9.21   4.31 to  5.53   39  112   35   35  297   42    3

  14/15  12 56.7   -1.23  12 59.3   -1.39   7.6   0.90   0.62   9.24   4.30 to  5.54   38  122   44   41  298   46    3

  It will almost certainly change further as more observations come in and the observational arc is extended.

  Regards,

  Jon Shanklin

  Visual Co-ordinator, BAA Comet Section

  http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/

  From: Comets-disc <comets-disc-bounces at lists.britastro.org> On Behalf Of denis buczynski
  Sent: 09 November 2018 13:40
  To: BAA Comets Discussion List <comets-disc at lists.britastro.org>
  Subject: [BAA Comets] DM001 EPHEMERIS

On CBET 4569       Nakano provides the following preliminary ephemeris for the comet:     2018 TT    R.A. (2000) Decl.    Delta     r   Nov.  5    12 06.22  -02 26.5   1.549   1.013         6    12 10.91  -02 21.2   1.549   1.012         7    12 15.60  -02 15.7   1.550   1.011         8    12 20.29  -02 10.2   1.550   1.011         9    12 24.97  -02 04.6   1.551   1.012        10    12 29.64  -01 59.0   1.552   1.012        11    12 34.30  -01 53.3   1.553   1.013        12    12 38.95  -01 47.6   1.555   1.014        13    12 43.59  -01 41.8   1.556   1.015        14    12 48.22  -01 36.0   1.558   1.017        15    12 52.84  -01 30.2   1.560   1.019
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