Possible discovery - Logged with BAA minor planets and comet sections

[NickH]

I was imaging today at 15:00 UT with Faulkes North and spotted this in all of the individual channel FITS frames as they were coming in.

It appears possible (still to be confirmed) that the nucleus of the comet has split. Anyone with FTN access can download the raw FITS files to verify (Wiltshire Astronomical Society - Siding)

Image uploaded here for verification also..

I have emailed the BAA people with this at 16:10UT today, also logged with CBAT at the IAU

FIngers crossed

[Doc]

Stupid question but could it be a background star. If you have already checked this then it is possible that the comet has fragmented.

[NickH]

Not a stupid question at all.. The images were taken over a 30 minute period, the stars moved clearly, this object trails the main nucleus.

Have 16 FITS images showing the stars moving and this not..

Fingers still crossed

[NickH]

The image is a composite of two shots, one of the stars aligned, the other on the comet nucleus....just in case anyone wants to know

[NickH]

BAA Comet section

wooohoooo!!

:-)

[Beulah]

Cool, let us know what the BAA say.

[MikeD]

[Space Bat]

Just think - it looks like a big chunk, it could seperate and form a unique comet in its own right with your name on it

[NickH]

Somehow I doubt that :-)...but hey, it's a first for me..

AVI file shows this is following so clearly... very happy...very very happy!

[Space Bat]

I know but here's hoping - you must be well stoked - congrats that man

[iamjulian]

Congratulations. Amazing find. You must be over the moon (so to speak!).

[Doc]

Comet Howes got a nice ring to it.

[NickH]

I am, it appears that something odd in the tail was seen a few days ago, but not the actual split..

Remanzacco Observatory - Comets & Neo: March 2009

This just gets better and better!

Comet Howes...nah...just nice to discover something...

[Captain Tripps]

Well done dude!

Lee

[DarkerSky]

Cool discovery !!!!! Be interesting to see what happens next. I'm guessing the secondary one will split off on a different trajectory..?

[NickH]

Is Comet Siding Spring splitting up?

:-)

[steppenwolf]

Good luck with this one, Nick - you never know!

[Psychobilly]

Brilliant

[Beyond_Vision]

Nice one Nick well spotted

Regards

Kevin

[Dave]

Excellent stuff. That's what I love about this hobby. You never know what's going to happen.

[beamish]

Who's a clever boy XLNT !!

[arad85]

Well done Nick!

[NickH]

The story is unfolding fast...hoping that WISE or one of the other large observatories pick this one up and do follow on.

[NickH]

The team linked above have kindly sent their images over, from only a few days ago...no split...:-)

http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/picture?PictId={E959BC93-322C-4F0B-8031-9F8892E4C969}&size=orig

So it happened between the 13th and 17th...and as luck would have it I found it..

Have contacted Mt Palomar to see if they can do any follow on observations, as I am off FT for at least a week now

[NickH]

Here's the RAW FITS discovery image (as a jpeg for here)...red channel at 15:07UT, and the final red channel 22 minutes later showing the secondary comet nucleus/condensation moving with it relative to the stars (combined shot of the two, 50% balance)