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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2514      2008 Dec 30 11.48UT
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 29P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 1
Mark Kidger (Herschel Science Centre, European Space Agency European 
Space Astronomy Centre) reports that Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 
seems to be passing a phase of extremely high activity. After a long 
period of quiescence since the exceptional outburst in late September, 
no less than three outbursts have been observed by members of the 
"Observadores_cometas" Group in 11 days between December 18/19 and 
December 28/29.

A small, initial outburst of amplitude 0.7 magnitudes to R=15.1 (10" 
square aperture), detected on December 18.9 by Toni Climent (MPC J97) 
and Josep Ayamami (MPC B20) was followed by a large outburst to R=12.6, 
registered by Rolando Ligustri (MPC 235) on December 20.9 and by Ramón 
Naves and Montse Campàs (MPC 213) on December 21.0. A third outburst, to 
R=12.15 followed, first detected by Faustino García (MPC J38) on 
December 28.85 and confirmed by many observers including César Piret 
(MPC J46), José Ramón Vidal (MPC 945) and Gustavo Muler (MPC J47).

The two most recent outbursts are the 6th and 7th largest of this comet 
observed since regular monitoring by the group began in 2001. During 
2008, the activity of 29P has been exceptional compared to any other 
period since 2001, with the two largest outbursts that the group has 
observed, occurring in mid-January and late September, followed by this 
recent activity. In other words, four of the seven largest outbursts 
observed in the last eight years have occurred within the last 12 
months.

A light curve of the recent activity can be found at the url:
http://www.astrosurf.com/comets/cometas/29p/image022.gif

While a full activity curve since 2001 can be found at:
http://www.astrosurf.com/comets/cometas/29p/image012.gif

Guy M Hurst