[meteorite-list] New Comet Discovered from Mauna Kea (Comet P/2005 V1 Bernardi)

[Ron Baalke]

Institute for Astronomy
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii

Contacts:
Dr. Fabrizio Bernardi
1-808-387-4851

Mrs. Karen Rehbock, Assistant to the Director
Institute for Astronomy
University of Hawaii
1-808-956-6829

For immediate release: December 1, 2005

New Comet Discovered from Mauna Kea

While searching for "killer asteroids" on Halloween night, University of 
Hawaii astronomer Fabrizio Bernardi found a new comet, the first 
discovered from Mauna Kea Observatories.

"While studying images I had taken with the Canada-France-Hawaii 
Telescope, I noticed an object with a faint tail. I checked to see if 
there were any known comets in that part of the sky, and was surprised to 
find that there were none," said Bernardi.

"I consulted with my colleagues David Tholen, Andrea Boattini, and Jana 
Pittichová, and we decided to monitor the object for a few nights. Having 
confirmed that it was a comet, we reported the find to the International 
Astronomical Union."

The comet is now officially "P/2005 V1 Bernardi" after its discoverer.

The comet, which orbits the Sun about once every 10 years, does not come 
close enough to Earth to be visible to the naked eye. When discovered, it 
was about 280 million miles away from Earth -- almost three times the 
distance from Earth to the Sun. The length of its tail is estimated to be 
more than 13,000 miles.

Bernardi is working with Tholen, a UH astronomer who heads a NASA-funded 
program to find asteroids that pass close to Earth and are therefore 
potentially dangerous.

The Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii conducts research 
into galaxies, cosmology, stars, planets, and the sun. Its faculty and 
staff are also involved in astronomy education, deep space missions, and 
in the development and management of the observatories on Haleakala and 
Mauna Kea.

Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of 
Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawaii is the state's sole public 
system of higher education. The UH System provides an array of 
undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and community programs 
on 10 campuses and through educational, training, and research centers 
across the state. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawaii, the 
U.S. mainland, and around the world.

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/press-releases/NewCometPics/cometOrbit.jpg 
(51KB)]
Orbit of Comet P/2005 V1 Bernardi