New comet C/2011 K1 (Schwartz-Holvorcem)

June 01, 2011
C/2011 K1 (Schwartz-Holvorcem) was discovered on 2011, May 26.25 by M. Schwartz and P. Holvorcem with the 0.41-m f/3.75 astrograph + CCD from Tenagra Observatory, Arizona, USA.

It was subsequently placed on the NEO Confirmation Page of the Minor Planet Center under the temporary designation TBKQ01.
I was able to image it two days after its discovery, on the night between May 28 and 29, thanks to the very good weather conditions all over the month, usually the rainest of the year here on my site; it was still in the NEO Confirmation Page, located in the sky in the constellation Ophiuchus.
The sky was clear with good seeing so I could confirm its cometary feature, even if the crowded star field made things a bit complicated.
In the total stack (36 min of exposure time) the comet has a FWHM 30-35% larger than stars nearby of similar brightness, with a 10″ round and diffuse coma, with no visible tail, even if a hint of a tail is only suspected extending to the north, but a trail of a star makes it difficult to judge.
The discovery was announced on IAUC 9211 (subscription required) and the astrometry, with a preliminary parabolic elements, published on MPEC 2011-L04.

by Luca Buzzi