THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 608 1992 Feb 09 11.44UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 Telex: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G JANET BOXES: GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK or GUYH at UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 PRESTEL 256471074 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PERIODIC COMET SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 1 IN OUTBURST Herman Mikuz, Slovenia, e-mails the following report indicating this comet is in outburst: "One minute exposure with 574x384 Wright CCD and 19cm f/4 Flat field camera taken on 1992 Feb. 7.846UT shows mag. 13: stellar object (condensation) of 42" dia. There is no trace of any coma. Appears to be in early stage of outburst. Not seen in 0.36-m T at x80 due to mag. ~6 star only 4.8' away. Several other frames were taken between 7.846 and 7.944UT to confirm the comet's motion." NOVA PUPPIS 1991 E-mail reports have been received from Alfredo Pereira (Portugal) and Patrick Schmeer (Germany) with positive observaions of this nova: 1992 Jan 31.950UT, 10.0 (Schmeer); Feb 6.01UT, 10.0 (Pereira). SUPERNOVA 1992E IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY Rob McNaught, Anglo-Australian Observatory, reports his discovery of an apparent supernova (mag about 20) on a red film taken Jan. 27.6 UT by M. J. Drinkwater with the U.K. Schmidt Telescope. The supernova is situated in a spiral arm and offset from the galaxy's centre by 7".7 west and 2".5 south, with coordinates R.A. = 6h34m37s.37, Decl. = -59 53'30".6 (equinox 1950.0, uncertainty 0".4 in R.A., 0".6 in Decl.). Two field stars lie within the bounds of the galaxy, having end figures 39s.28, 38".0 (mag about 17.5) and 36s.94, 32".4 (mag about 21), the supernova lying 3".2 east and 1".8 north of the latter star. No star appears on the ESO R survey. IAUC 5446 SUPERNOVA 1992F IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, reports his discovery, on Tech Pan films (limiting mag 21.5-22) taken on Feb. 2.1 and 6.2 UT by D. Albanese and himself, of an apparent supernova (mag about 19) embedded in the northwest part of a galaxy of mag 16.5. SN 1992F is located at R.A. = 11h22m34s.21, Decl. = +56 52'32".4 (equinox 1950.0), and is offset 2".9 west and 4".1 north from the galaxy's center. The supernova seems slightly fainter on the second date, and it evidently was not visible on films to mag 20-21 taken on Jan. 14.2 and 15.2. The POSS prints show no significant stellar image, with limiting magnitudes 19.5 in red and 20 in blue. A nearby star of mag 17.5 is at R.A. = 11h22m33s.65, Decl. = +56 52'27".9. S. Benetti and F. Patat, Asiago Observatory, confirm that Pollas' new object is a supernova; a CCD R frame was obtained on Feb. 6.93 UT at the Cima Ekar 1.8-m telescope under poor weather conditions, in which SN 1992F appears 2.3 mag fainter than a nearby star mentioned above. IAUC 5446 AK CANCRI Further to the note on E605, Timo Kinnunen, Finland has e-mailed Julian dates of maxima he observed during 1991: JD 2448292, 13.6; 2448318, 14.2; 2448361, 13.5. Guy M Hurst