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Comet 255P/LEVY - ( = P/2006 T1 = P/2011 Y1)

David H. Levy, Tucson, AZ, reports his visual discovery with his 0.41-m f/5 reflector of a diffuse comet that is close to Saturn in the sky; the discovery position  is from CCD astrometry obtained with a 0.36-m reflector, while the magnitude is visual.  Following posting on the 'NEO Confirmation Page', other observers have confirmed the object as a comet, including K. Sarneczky (Szeged, Hungary, 0.60-m Schmidt telescope), who reports that his CCD frames taken on Oct. 3.13-3.14 UT show a strong central condensation of magnitude 15 and a coma of diameter 1'.  P. Birtwhistle (Great Shefford, Berkshire, U.K., 0.40-m f/6 Schmidt- Cassegrain telescope) writes that his CCD images taken on Oct. 3.2 show a circular coma of diameter 4'.5 with a concentrated but non- stellar center and a thin, straight tail 14' long in p.a. 295 deg (10" wide as it leaves the coma, fanning out to 2' wide as it fades into the sky background).  R. Miles (Stourton Caundle, Dorset, U.K., 0.06-m refractor) communicates that his CCD frames taken on Oct.3.2 show a total V magnitude of 9.5 in a 3' aperture.  E. Guido and G. Sostero (observing remotely with a 0.25-m f/3.4 reflector near Mayhill, NM) write that their CCD images from Oct. 3.48 show a coma diameter of 3' and a tail 2' long toward p.a. 297 deg.  A. Hale, Cloudcroft, NM (0.41-m reflector) reports that his visual observation on Oct. 3.47 yields a coma diameter of 2'.5 and total magnitude 9.8.  J. E. McGaha (Tucson, AZ, 0.36-m f/10 Schmidt- Cassegrain reflector + CCD) reports that six stacked 60-s frames taken on Oct. 3.5 show a bright, round, inner coma of diameter 34" with an outer coma of diameter 226", elongated toward a 30"-wide tail that extends 600" in p.a. 287 deg.

P/2006 T1 and P/2011 Y1, is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 5.25 years.  It last came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 14 January 2012. During the 2006 passage the comet achieved an apparent magnitude of ~9.5.Levy (PK06T010) was believed to have been recovered on 3 June 2011 at magnitude 19.8,but other observatories were unable to confirm a recovery. It was most likely a false positive because of large residuals. Levy was recovered on 17 December 2011 at magnitude 19.8, and given the second designation 2011 Y1. It was then numbered as comet 255P/LEVY.  Observations of comet 255P/LEVY

Last updated: 2020-10-31

Photometric data obtained by use of FOCAS-II software

                                   10x10  20x20  30x30  40x40  50x50  60x60   SNR   SB   COD

OBJECT        DATE       TIME        +/-    +/-    +/-    +/-    +/-    +/-     N  FWHM  CAT

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                                                                     AFRHO         LOG

COMET         UTC                   DELTA    r    BOX "   MAG   RSR    CM    +/-  AFRHO  OBS

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