------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 3045 2014 Dec 13 07.24UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW FAST-MOVING NAKED COMET IN SERPENS John Toone, Cressage, near Shrewsbury, England reports the discovery of a magnitude 0 fast moving comet during observation of the variable star R Serpentis on 2014 Dec 13 at 05h10mUT. It displayed both dust and gas tails. By 05h35mUT it had moved just to the east of Pi Ser and had faded to magnitude 2. At 05h55mUT John noted it was very close to Upsilon CrB but had faded to magnitude 5 now showing a fan shaped dust tail. By 06h05mUT the comet was positioned between zeta Herculis and Nu CrB becoming very diffuse at magnitude 6. Reports received via Facebook from Nigel Bradbury with images and also from Dave White of Sheffield England are being investigated. The Central Bureau has been notified and we await their response. A further detailed report from John Toone has just been received: 0510GMT: Position 15h50m, +13d30m (2000); Compact with dust and gas tails 120 degrees apart. Motion visible in C8 with low power. Brightness equal to Arcturus (zero mag). Much more impressive than Hale Bopp. 0535GMT: Position 16h06m, +22d30' (2000); Faded to mag 2 (equal to alpha CrB). 0545GMT: Position 16h14m, +26d00' (2000); Increased size, becoming more diffuse and rapidly fading. 0550GMT: Position 16h18m, +28d10' (2000); Faded to approx. mag 5 (now fainter than epsilon CrB). 0600GMT: Position 16h23m, +31d00' (2000); 90 degree fan shaped tail, further size increase. 0605GMT: Position 16h25m, +32d20' (2000); Very diffuse, faded to mag 6 (E+5 on R CrB sequence 041.04). Congratulations to John on this remarkable discovery. Guy M Hurst