IAU A79

Cometary features of the NEOCP object 9Q18301 was detected using a stack of 5 unfiltered exposures, 60 seconds each, obtained on 2009, August 29.1 UT. Even after this short expose time and the low brightness of the body, about 18.5R magnitude, the object reveals the presence of well visible and very diffuse coma nearly 10-12 arcsec in diameter. Unfortunately, we observed the new comet just before the sunrise and were not able to detect more details. The first and preliminary orbit for comet P/2009 Q1 (Hill), which includes prediscovery positions by Spacewacth of Aug. 16, indicates perihelion already on July 19, 2009, at about 2.8 AU. This is the 75th comet discovery for Catalina and the 16th for Hill. (IAUC 9067, subscription required, MPEC 2009-Q67)