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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2228      2006 May 14 11.38UT
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      Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk
WORLD WIDE WEB                         http://www.theastronomer.org
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COMET 73P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN
L. Lara et. al., report on IAUC 8708 that R-band images of component 'B' 
of Comet 73P taken on May 7.9 UT with the Calar Alto 2.2-m telescope 
showed a much brighter coma than on May 2; image processing revealed two 
short (2000 km) pairs of arclets at PA about 100/300 deg and about 
180/270 deg.  R- and B-band images of component 'B' on May 9.0 UT taken 
with the 2-m telescope (+ focal reducer) of the Bulgarian National 
Astronomical Observatory, Rozhen, showed that a 10" aperture centered on 
the coma was 3.5 mag brighter than similar images taken on May 5.0. 
CN-filter images taken on May 8.9 with the same instrumentation revealed 
a pair of prominent coma arclets extending about 5000 km on either side 
of the sun-comet line.

Guy Hurst, Basingstoke, adds that on 2006 May 5.951UT whilst observing 
with 15x80B at Copmanthorpe, York courtesy of Hazel Collett, fragment C 
was seen at magnitude 7.3 whereas fragment B could then not be seen with 
certainty but may have been present as a diffuse glow at the limit of 
the binoculars. However on May 8.915UT fragment B had brightened 
considerably reaching magnitude 5.4 as seen in 15x80B from Basingstoke. 
An image secured for the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol also captured the 
comet which showed a tail in PA 239.

Bjorn Granslo, observing from Fjellhamar, Norway also noted a sudden 
substantial increase in brightness on May 8/9:
May 6.03UT, m1=7.4 (0.10-m OG); 7.01, 7.4 (0.10-m OG); 8.97, 5.7 
(10x50B); 9.00, 5.4 10x50B).
He adds: May  9.00: Component B was undergoing a major outburst, and 
appeared much brighter and more condensed than two nights ago; it was 
brighter than Messier 13 and but just below naked eye brightness; an 
apparently stellar central condensation was of about magnitude 7.0 (ref. 
TK). Observation somewhat affected by haze, moon and astronomical 
twilight (NEL 5.2).

SUPERNOVA 2006bx IN UGC 5434
Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8705):
SN      2005 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2006bx  May   1.26  10 05 14.16  +21 28 32.0  18.1  8.5"E, 70.8"N
SN 2006bx is a type-II supernova (about 2-3 weeks past maximum on May 
3.18 according to CBET 500.

SUPERNOVA 2006by IN NGC 5149
Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8707):
SN      2005 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2006by  May   3.31  13 26 09.12  +35 55 58.0  18.2  0.1"E,  5.7"S

SUPERNOVA 2006bz IN PGC 44809
Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8707):
SN      2005 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2006bz  May   4.30  13 00 43.38  +27 57 41.8  17.5  7.0"E,  5.9"S
The galaxy is in the Abell Cluster 1656.

SUPERNOVA 2006ca IN UGC 11214
Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8707):
SN      2005 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2006ca  May   4.49  18 22 54.15  +12 26 03.2  16.4 14.0"E, 17.3"N

Guy M Hurst