Comet C/2023 V4 (Camarasa-Duszanowicz)

The story of finding xkos369 - later comet C/2023 V4

Moonbase South Observatory - Comet and Neo Searching Project (MSO-CaNeSP) was lauched in June 2022. This project first used one, and from Sept. 2023 two telescopes with a 0.28 m main mirror (Celestron C11 - SCT) in a configuration with a Starizona Hyperstar f/1.9 and a full frame CMOS cameras with a Sony IMX455 sensor from ZWO, model ASI 6200MM-P.

A few hours before the session of MSO-CaNeSP started on Nov. 4

Jordi prepared part of the observing plan for the scopes we use for this project. Grzegorz prepared the observatory for work and launched observation plans for both C11 scopes, also adding some new fields to search for comets in the vicinity of the Milky Way in accordance with the general plan.

The data from both scopes was constantly downloaded to a computer in Sweden. This PC analyzes the data looking for potential new moving objects.

Jordi usually check the obtained data processed by the Tycho program installed on it and does measurements and reports observations as well new objects, mostly NEOs to the MPC.

In the early morning on Nov 5,  the material from one of the scopes that was processed  by the Tycho program. Searching area marked as "Field-A15" showed an unknown slowly moving object that looked more like a little comet with a short tail...

Jordi did astrometrical measurements and sent the MPC report as new NEO Candidate and contacted Grzegorz. Very soon together they came to the conclusion that they were dealing with a comet because of its cometary appearance and soon sent the cometary activity report as well.

Next night we could take additional pictures of this object with C14 scope also from L87. Those images showed very clear the coma and short tail. 

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