COMET 230P/2009 U6 = 1997 A2 = 2002 Q15 (LINEAR) As first reported on CBET 2072, S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, has identified observations of comet P/2009 U6 (cf. IAUCs 9090, 9092) among single-night data from NEAT at the two preceding apparitions (on 1997 Jan. 11; and 2002 Aug. 20 and Sept. 9). R. Matson, Irvine, CA, independently located the images corresponding to the same observations (now given the designations P/1997 A2 and P/2002 Q15) and provided measurements from them, together with measurements from NEAT images on 1997 Jan. 10 and on five further nights during 2002 July 24-Sept. 16. The comet's approach to a distance of 0.88 AU from Jupiter in Sept. 2007 means that the orbital period, currently 6.27 years, was previously 6.48-6.49 years, with the comet's previous two perihelion passages occurring on 2003 Mar. 3 and 1996 Sept. 4. The available 1997 and 2002 astrometry (together with more from 2009), orbital elements linking the three apparitions, residuals, and an ephemeris appear on MPEC 2009-X47. The permanent number designation 230P has been assigned to this comet. Source