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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1586      2000 Dec 05 11.33UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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COMET 73P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 3
Recent observations suggest that three nuclear components of comet
73P are now visible:  what appear to be components B and C from the
observed 1995 outburst and splitting (IAUC 6246, 6274,6301) and an
apparent new component (E).  Assuming that component C
(T = 2001 Jan. 27) is the primary nucleus, components B and E are
separated by Delta(T) = +0.27 and +0.74 day, respectively.
Component E was observed by K. Kadota (Ageo, Japan, 0.18-m
reflector + CCD) on Nov. 28.84 UT and by M. Jaeger (Puchenstuben,
Austria, 0.3-m reflector + Technical Pan film) on Dec. 1.19 and
2.20 -- the latter indicating that it is about 28' tailward from,
and about 1.5-2 mag fainter than, component C.  Observations by
Jaeger and earlier by A. Galad and P. Koleny (Modra, 0.6-m
reflector + CCD) on Nov. 19.19 indicate that component B is about
2.5-3 mag fainter than component C.  Jaeger adds that component C
has a 20' tail in p.a. 296 deg.
IAUC 7534 (extract)

SUPERNOVA 2000ez IN NGC 3995
A possible supernova discovery in NGC 3995 by Mark Armstrong was
reported on E-Circular 1585. T.Matheson has now spectroscopically
confirmed it as a type-II object. This is Mark's sixteenth
supernova discovery for the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol.

The IAUC announcement follows:

T. Matheson, S. Jha, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, report that spectra of SN
2000ez (cf. IAUC 7533), obtained by J. Huchra on Dec. 3.49 UT with
the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST spectrograph)
and by N. Caldwell on Dec. 3.53 with the MMT 6.5-m telescope (+
Blue Channel spectrograph), show it to be a type-II supernova
several days after maximum light.  The spectra consist of a
continuum with superposed P-Cyg lines of H, He, and Ca II.
Adopting the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database recession velocity of
3254 km/s for the host galaxy, the expansion velocity derived from
the minimum of the H-beta line is 4000 km/s.
IAUC 7535

OCCULTATION OF TYC 1256 0931 by 300 GERALDINA, 2000 DEC 2
Gary Poyner, Birmingham ( 52,32,32N  1,52,30W ), in response
to the appeal on E1583, reports his successful detection of this
occultation event:

Geraldina's magnitude estimated at 14.4 using GSC values.
(Observed earlier on Dec 1)

December 2nd 2000
Start:  00h 13m 55s UT  End:    00h 14m 01s UT   Duration 6 seconds

Star still visible during eclipse, around magnitude 14

Telescope Type:  Newtonian f5; Aperture:  40cm; Mag. x166

Our congratulations to Gary on this excellent observation!

Guy M Hurst