[BAA Comets] Very rare outburst of Comet 174P/Echeclus / Asteroid (60558) Echeclus

denis buczynski buczynski8166 at btinternet.com
Mon Aug 29 02:34:27 BST 2016


Hello all,I was able to get some images just now in hazy skies. My measurements confirm the brightening. 
Here is my astrometry
COD I81
OBS D.Buczynski
MEA D.Buczynski
TEL 0.35-m Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD + f/6 focal reducer
ACK MPCReport file updated 2016.08.29 01:11:12
AC2 buczynski8166 at btinternet.com
NET UCAC-4
0174P         C2016 08 29.03671 01 27 04.87 +07 05 21.8          15.3 N      I81
0174P         C2016 08 29.03816 01 27 04.85 +07 05 21.7          15.2 N      I81
0174P         C2016 08 29.03997 01 27 04.85 +07 05 21.4          15.3 N      I81
0174P         C2016 08 29.04215 01 27 04.81 +07 05 21.2          15.2 N      I81
0174P         C2016 08 29.04364 01 27 04.80 +07 05 21.1          15.2 N      I81
0174P         C2016 08 29.04651 01 27 04.77 +07 05 20.8          15.2 N      I81Denis Buczynski

      From: Richard Miles <rmiles.btee at btinternet.com>
 To: Observadores_cometas at yahoogroups.com; asvcometsection at yahoogroups.com; comets-ml at yahoogroups.com; BAA Comets discussion list <comets-disc at britastro.org>; les_cometes at yahoogroupes.fr 
Cc: Alan Fitzsimmons <afitzsimmonsqub at gmail.com>; Colin Snodgrass <c.d.b.snodgrass at gmail.com>; Meabh Hyland <mhyland02 at qub.ac.uk>
 Sent: Monday, 29 August 2016, 1:39
 Subject: [BAA Comets] Very rare outburst of Comet 174P/Echeclus / Asteroid (60558) Echeclus
   
Comet 174P has within the last 24 hours undergone a strong (2.6 mag) 
outburst as detected by Paul Camilleri observing from Blue Mountains 
Observatory, Leura, NSW, Australia (MPC Q68). Time of outburst appears to 
have been 2016 August 28.2 +/-0.4. Paul has asked me to alert observers.

Here are the results of my photometric measurements of some of Paul 
Camilleri's images:

COD Q68
COM Filter: Clear
COM Photometric aperture: 5.2" radius
OBS P. Camilleri
MEA R. Miles
TEL 0.30-m f/5.4 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD
ACK MPCReport file updated 2016.08.28 22:20:00
NET UCAC-4
0174P        C2016 08 27.71786 01 27 15.82 +07 07 18.5          17.76N 
Q68
0174P        C2016 08 27.74484 01 27 15.60 +07 07 16.1          17.92N 
Q68
0174P        C2016 08 28.68603 01 27 07.86 +07 05 55.1          15.21N 
Q68
0174P        C2016 08 28.70610 01 27 07.68 +07 05 53.3          15.23N 
Q68
----- end -----

Here is confirmation of the outburst using one of the 1.0-m LCOGT telescopes 
at Sutherland, South Africa:

COD K92
COM Filter: SDSS-r'
COM Photometric aperture: 5.6" radius
OBS R. Miles, LCOGT
MEA R. Miles
TEL 1.0-m f/8.0 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD
ACK MPCReport file updated 2016.08.28 23:56:45
AC2 rmiles at baa.u-net.com
NET UCAC-4
0174P        C2016 08 28.98523 01 27 05.32 +07 05 28.8          15.27N 
K92
0174P        C2016 08 28.98742 01 27 05.30 +07 05 28.8          15.27N 
K92
0174P        C2016 08 28.98960 01 27 05.28 +07 05 28.6          15.29N 
K92
----- end -----

Further confirmation from LCOGT, Tenerife. Single measurement - other images 
affected by mist.

COD Z21
COM Filter: SDSS-r'
COM Photometric aperture: 5.7" radius
OBS R. Miles, LCOGT
MEA R. Miles
TEL 0.40-m f/8 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD
ACK MPCReport file updated 2016.08.29 00:16:16
NET UCAC-4
0174P        C2016 08 28.98311 01 27 05.38 +07 05 27.6          15.25N 
Z21
----- end -----

Jean-François Soulier has also provided accurate astrometry/photometry as 
follows:

COD C10
COM Filter: Clear
COM Photometric aperture: 6.5" radius
CON JEAN-FRANCOIS SOULIER [jean-francois.soulier2 at wanadoo.fr]
OBS J.-F. Soulier
MEA J.-F. Soulier
TEL 0.30-m f/3.8 Newtonian reflector + CCD
ACK MPCReport file updated 2016.08.28
AC2 jean-francois.soulier2 at wanadoo.fr
NET UCAC-4
0174P        C2016 08 28.94562 01 27 05.67 +07 05 30.3          15.44N 
C10
0174P        C2016 08 28.96921 01 27 05.47 +07 05 28.3          15.37N 
C10
0174P        C2016 08 28.99322 01 27 05.26 +07 05 26.2          15.33N 
C10
----- end -----

This object appears to have undergone two outbursts since its discovery in 
2000 by Steward Observatory (Spacewatch) as a then asteroidal object. That 
of 2005 December / 2006 January was slighly brighter than this one and was 
associated with the appearance of a disintegrating chunk of material, which 
was well observed with large telescopes. The object was subsequently 
assigned a number as a periodic comet. A second outburst of 2011 May was 
considerably fainter than the present event. It is currently 16 months after 
perihelion (q = 5.82 AU,Q = 15.54 AU, Period = 34.9 yr).

Observers are strongly urged to monitor the development of this most rare 
outburst.

Richard Miles
British Astronomical Association


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