Electronic Telegram No. 5431 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Mailing address: Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University; 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA 02138; U.S.A. e-mail: cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org) URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network COMET P/2024 K2 = P/2014 MG_4 (SPACEWATCH-PANSTARRS) R. Weryk, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, reports the recovery of comet P/2014 MG_4 (cf. CBET 3924) as an apparently stellar object in CCD images obtained on May 30.33-30.37 UT with the Pan-STARRS1 1.8-m Ritchey-Chretien reflector at Haleakala. Weryk identified additional apparently stellar images of the comet taken with the Pan-STARRS1 reflector on Apr. 17 and with the Pan-STARRS1 1.8-m reflector on Apr. 18 and May 7 (observations tabulated below; cf. MPEC 2024-Q26). 2024 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. Apr. 17.49100 15 23 40.93 -31 13 48.2 21.9 18.46639 15 23 12.37 -31 13 47.3 21.3 18.46705 15 23 12.30 -31 13 47.0 21.2 May 7.42522 15 12 00.05 -30 52 34.1 21.0 7.43696 15 11 59.56 -30 52 32.4 20.7 7.44869 15 11 59.09 -30 52 31.4 21.5 30.33421 14 57 47.37 -29 41 42.9 21.2 30.34491 14 57 47.00 -29 41 40.6 21.2 30.35563 14 57 46.66 -29 41 38.0 21.5 30.36633 14 57 46.28 -29 41 35.2 21.3 The residuals for the recovery observations were +121" in R.A. and -26" in Decl. from the prediction in NK 3261 and the 2019 ICQ Comet Handbook, with a corresponding correction of Delta(T) = -0.17 day. The following linked orbital elements by S. Nakano (Central Bureau) are from 209 observations spanning 2013 May 4-2024 May 30 (mean residual 0".6). The comet passed 0.050 AU from Jupiter on 1955 July 28. Before that close approach, the comet had orbital elements T = 1909 July 27, q = 5.288 AU, e = 0.581, Peri. = 186.9 deg, Node = 321.0 deg, i = 8.1 deg (equinox J2000.0), a = 12.61 AU, P = 44.8 years. Epoch = 2002 Mar. 27.0 TT T = 2002 Apr. 5.51085 TT Peri. = 298.95612 e = 0.2589773 Node = 312.01616 2000.0 q = 3.7008365 AU Incl. = 9.37928 a = 4.9942281 AU n = 0.08830830 P = 11.16 years Epoch = 2013 May 28.0 TT T = 2013 June 13.49971 TT Peri. = 298.85315 e = 0.2588508 Node = 311.86109 2000.0 q = 3.7142377 AU Incl. = 9.36735 a = 5.0114578 AU n = 0.08785328 P = 11.22 years Epoch = 2024 Sept. 7.0 TT T = 2024 Sept. 6.36813 TT Peri. = 298.92971 e = 0.2587126 Node = 311.69262 2000.0 q = 3.7167187 AU Incl. = 9.36485 a = 5.0138700 AU n = 0.08778988 P = 11.23 years Epoch = 2035 Nov. 9.0 TT T = 2035 Nov. 28.37365 TT Peri. = 299.51801 e = 0.2603138 Node = 311.30275 2000.0 q = 3.6968148 AU Incl. = 9.38083 a = 4.9978147 AU n = 0.08821325 P = 11.17 years Epoch = 2047 Jan. 10.0 TT T = 2047 Jan. 16.92822 TT Peri. = 299.61719 e = 0.2611513 Node = 311.16021 2000.0 q = 3.6723662 AU Incl. = 9.39567 a = 4.9703899 AU n = 0.08894436 P = 11.08 years Epoch = 2058 Feb. 1.0 TT T = 2058 Jan. 24.63799 TT Peri. = 299.62969 e = 0.2615657 Node = 311.07793 2000.0 q = 3.6439654 AU Incl. = 9.41519 a = 4.9347183 AU n = 0.08991052 P = 10.96 years The following ephemeris by the undersigned from the above orbital elements uses photometric power-law parameters H = 13.5 and 2.5n = 7.5 for the magnitudes. This is about 3 mag fainter than in 2013-2016. Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase Mag. 2024 07 29 14 55.53 -26 42.8 3.359 3.721 103.0 15.4 20.4 2024 08 08 15 01.22 -26 35.0 3.495 3.719 94.8 15.8 20.5 2024 08 18 15 08.37 -26 33.9 3.634 3.718 86.8 15.8 20.6 2024 08 28 15 16.84 -26 38.5 3.773 3.717 79.1 15.5 20.7 2024 09 07 15 26.48 -26 47.8 3.909 3.717 71.6 14.9 20.7 2025 03 26 19 53.67 -25 27.1 4.053 3.825 69.8 14.2 20.9 2025 04 05 20 02.44 -25 00.8 3.924 3.835 77.6 14.8 20.8 2025 04 15 20 09.92 -24 36.7 3.791 3.846 85.6 15.1 20.8 2025 04 25 20 15.98 -24 15.5 3.656 3.858 93.9 15.1 20.7 2025 05 05 20 20.47 -23 58.0 3.523 3.870 102.6 14.7 20.6 2025 05 15 20 23.28 -23 44.9 3.396 3.882 111.5 14.0 20.6 2025 05 25 20 24.33 -23 36.3 3.277 3.895 120.9 12.9 20.5 2025 06 04 20 23.56 -23 32.1 3.172 3.908 130.6 11.4 20.4 2025 06 14 20 21.04 -23 31.8 3.083 3.922 140.7 9.5 20.4 2025 06 24 20 16.92 -23 34.1 3.015 3.936 151.1 7.2 20.4 2025 07 04 20 11.51 -23 37.7 2.972 3.950 161.7 4.6 20.3 2025 07 14 20 05.24 -23 40.8 2.955 3.964 172.3 2.0 20.3 2025 07 24 19 58.64 -23 42.0 2.966 3.979 175.0 1.3 20.4 2025 08 03 19 52.29 -23 40.0 3.007 3.995 164.7 3.8 20.4 2025 08 13 19 46.75 -23 34.3 3.075 4.010 154.1 6.3 20.5 2025 08 23 19 42.43 -23 24.9 3.168 4.026 143.5 8.6 20.5 2025 09 02 19 39.65 -23 11.8 3.283 4.042 133.3 10.5 20.6 NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2024 CBAT 2024 August 20 (CBET 5431) Daniel W. E. Green