Comet 103P possible outburst detection

[NickH]

Just got this from Toni Scarmato on the Epoxi group

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Thanks to the data from Nick Howes (many thanks Nick!!), I am more confident about the 103/P "outburst" detected on 20100831 and 20100901.

The images Nick took with his TMB are very useful due to the big FOV. So I was been able to find stars of type G5 and G8 type with B-V=+0.6 (so like our Sun).

From the plot is clear that to verify the start and the consistence of the "outburst" we need observations with R photometric filter beetwen 20100813 and 20100831. Also are useful data beetwen 20100901 and 20100903. I am adding Nick's data to prepare a LC with regular, visual and R band curve.

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Here's Toni's analysis image

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[NickH]

Andf to augment this, here's tonight's video from the 20th Sept

Now estimated at mag 9.8

[MisterH]

Why is the magnitude so much lower than estimated? What might the peak mag. be on the 20th Oct (when I think it will be brightest) and will it be worth trying to spot it after midnight? (it's highest in the sky at about 4am here in the UK)

[FraserClarke]

From the plot is clear that to verify the start and the consistence of the "outburst" we need observations with R photometric filter beetwen 20100813 and 20100831. Also are useful data beetwen 20100901 and 20100903. I am adding Nick's data to prepare a LC with regular, visual and R band curve.

Only just seen this. I have about 2 hours of V band data from the 20100901 (MJD 5441.3901 to 5441.502).

I should do the photometry and see what it looks like...

Oh, and I have about half an hour of V on 20100829 (5438.62 to 5438.64)

[NickH]

Excellent

Toni's also updated his data using more of my R band and CLS/ FITS files. I uploaded 1.1GB of data to Epoxi yesterday, for analysis

[FraserClarke]

Do you just upload raw fits, or do the photometry? I presume they have standard way they want to do the photometry...

[NickH]

I do some photometry myself and also upload to epoxi and a guy on the Cara list verifies my data as a backup...so far, spot on..

[NickH]

NASA have reported an interestin increase in Cn levels just after this outburst detection in visible...so we could be on to something