PCCP object C46K1R1 Nick James (18 Sep 2026 04:56 UTC)
Re: [BAA Comets] PCCP object C46K1R1 Astrofili Spezzini (18 Sep 2026 07:08 UTC)

PCCP object C46K1R1 Nick James 18 Sep 2026 04:56 UTC
This object has been on the Possible Comets Confirmation Page (PCCP) for
almost four days:

https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/NEO/pccp_tabular.html

and it is definitely a comet. The orbit is cometary and it shows a
faint, asymmetric coma and a short tail. It is well-placed for
observation from the UK but it is faint (around mag 18 in a small
photometric aperture). Denis Buczynski has imaged it from Tarbatness and
I have imaged it from Chelmsford. Comphot detects a coma of around 40
arcsec diameter but the coma looks to be asymmetric to the west.

The comet was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey and I assume that it
must currently be in outburst since it has been well-placed for
discovery for some time.

The current astrometry fits a parabolic orbit with perihelion on 2026
October 23 at q=0.79au.

It is worth imaging if you have the capability so that we can determine
whether this is an outburst or whether it was just missed by the surveys.

Nick.