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COMET C/2026 AZ17 (BOK)

Af(rho) data according the CARA-approach is available via request to CARA-coordinator

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Comet C/2026 AZ17 (BOK) (astro.vanbuitenen.nl)

Discovery:   CBET 5701:  COMET C/2026 AZ_17

 An apparently asteroidal object discovered on CCD images obtained on Jan. 13 UT with the 2.25-m Bok reflector at Kitt Peak (discovery observations tabulated below) has been found to show cometary appearance.  Apparently no fewer than eight separate designations were sent to the Minor Planet Center of this object, and it immediately was placed on the MPC's NEOCP webpage due to a high "NEO Digest2 score" (according to P. Veres), although it sat on the NEOCP without ever being moved to the PCCP webpage for several weeks, apparently.  Finally, it was given the designation 2026 AZ_17 without the observations ever being published or made available at the MPC website (until the newly published MPEC 2026-L52), although the designation was published  with a preliminary orbit on the "Daily Orbit Update" MPEC 2026-C86 on Feb. 12 -- this despite the fact that H. Groeller reported the object to be very

diffuse with no tail on four co-added 60-s exposures obtained on Jan. 21.5 UT  with the 1.55-m Kuiper reflector at Catalina and A. F. Tubbiolo reported a  very condensed head of size 3" with a broad tail 6" long spanning p.a.  275-280 degrees on Feb. 4.5 with a 2.5-m reflector at Kitt Peak (which the MPC  ignored when giving the minor-planet designation a month after the discovery).

     There were 22 reports of cometary activity.  The first report was by D. Rankin.  There were 20 reports of a coma and there were 21 reports of a tail.  Details are provided in the table below.

OC   Date        Reporter            Coma    Tail   PA   Comet     Date

                                                        (T/P)   Reported

G96  2026-03-27  D. Rankin           8"                   T   2026-03-27.45

157  2026-04-19  R. Haver            8"       13"  228    T   2026-04-19.76

Z31  2026-04-21  A. Hale             5"        8"  220    T   2026-04-21.78

M21  2026-04-21  L. Buzzi            7"        5"  220    T   2026-04-21.72

W62  2026-04-21  J. Maikner          6"        8"  236    T   2026-04-21.25

U69  2026-04-21  H. Sato             3"        4"  210    T   2026-04-29.55

V37  2026-04-21  T. Lister                     9"  225    T   2026-04-21.73

W62  2026-04-22  J. Maikner          6"        8"  236    T   2026-04-21.25

A71  2026-04-23  M. Jaeger           6"       35"  244    T   2026-04-23.35

204  2026-04-25  A. Aletti           6"        7"  225    P   2026-04-26.85

215  2026-04-26  W. Hasubick        14"       23"  244    T   2026-04-26.29

D88  2026-04-27  Y. Sugiyama         6"       15"  220    P   2026-04-29.37

903  2026-05-06  M. Yoshimi         10"       11"  230    P   2026-05-18.6

G00  2026-05-07  M. Jaeger           9"       27"  240    T   2026-05-18.34

P87  2026-05-08  K. Yoshimoto       10"       12"  220    T   2026-05-09.26

867  2026-05-10  T. Oribe           10"       20"  207    T   2026-05-11.36

Q23  2026-05-10  H. Sato            11"       17"  217    P   2026-05-11.67

W62  2026-05-16  J. Maikner          5"        8"  205    T   2026-05-16.25

950  2026-05-17  M. Masek           17"       15"  235    T   2026-05-17.48

U94  2026-05-28  T. Prystavski                12"  184    T   2026-05-28.82

W62  2026-05-29  J. Maikner          4"        8"  205    T   2026-05-29.57

W62  2026-06-06  J. Maikner          5"       10"  170    T   2026-06-07.85

MPEC 2026-L52: COMET C/2026 AZ17 (Bok)