[BAA 00236] Comet 73P-B

[Rick]

BAA electronic bulletin No. 00236

Fragment 'B' of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has undergone a substantial outburst in the last couple of days.  I have just observed it from near the centre of Cambridge and it was 6.1 in 20x80B, with a 4' well-condensed coma, and very easy despite city light pollution, mist turning to low cloud and bright moonlight.  Observers with better skies have reported much larger coma diameters up to 50' and a magnitude of 5.  It is only 2 degrees from Vega tonight so this makes a convenient guide, with the comet just over a degree above epsilon.

Fragment 'C' is some 15 degrees away, crossing the neck of Cygnus and is about 6th magnitude.  Both are rapidly moving out of the evening sky and will be lost to UK skies in a fortnight.

For more information on current comets see http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds

Jonathan Shanklin
[Director BAA Comet Section]

j.shanklin@bas.ac.uk
British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, England
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/jds/notes_from_south_2006.htm
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/jds
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds