Comet News from the BAA

[Rick]

Those of you who regularly view the Comet Section web pages will have noted that several comets have brightened to within relatively easy visual range and also that there have been several discoveries and recoveries that are observable.

2P/Encke is brightening rapidly, but is a little fainter than expected.
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has undergone several outbursts, reaching 13th magnitude and is well worth monitoring.
2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT) is a rather diffuse object and will remain at around 11th - 12th magnitude to the end of the year.
2001 Q4 (NEAT) is a southern hemisphere object but has reached 11th magnitude.
2002 T7 (LINEAR) is brightening and has now reached 11th magnitude.  It is well condensed and so is more easily visible.

New discoveries include
2003 T1 (157P/Tritton) which was rediscovered in outburst at 11th magnitude, but may be fading.  It is a morning object.
2003 T3 (Tabur) is a new CCD discovery by Vello Tabur, but currently a southern hemisphere object.  It may reach 8th magnitude by the time it moves north next year.
2003 T4 (LINEAR) is still a long way from perihelion and too faint for visual observation, but may reach 5th magnitude in 2005.

Ephemerides for the first four objects are in the 2003 Handbook and also in the latest issue of the Section newsletter 'The Comet's Tale'.  Subscription to the newsletter is five pounds for 2 years, with a further year for free to anyone contributing observations or articles.  Ephemerides and the latest news are also available on the Section webpage at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds

Jonathan Shanklin
British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, England
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/jds
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds


[ This Message was edited by: Rick on 2003-10-24 11:43 ]