CCD observations by A. Nakamura on Nov. 4 showed comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 brighter than expected. The comet presented itself low on the horizon as a 13.2m bright object with a 0.5' coma and a 0.8' long tail in PA=310° (IAUC 7518). Despite its outburst - with partly disintegration - in 1995 this comet seems to show a strong activity again, making hope for the next perihelion in 2005 when the comet will pass Earth at a distance of only 0.08 AU.
Beside the main component C two more fragments are now known, receiving designations B and E. While B and C were found during the perihelion passage in 1995, fragment E was discovered on Nov. 28 by K. Kadota on a CCD frame and by Michael Jäger on Dec. 1 on Technical Pan film. Congratulations to Michael, who is evolving into a "fragment hunter"! Fragment E was located at a distance of 28' from the main component in the direction of the tail and about 1.5-2m fainter than the first (being then estimated at 11.5m by visual observers). Component B was 2.5-3m fainter than the main component in November. The latter had a tail of 20' in PA=296° according to Michael Jäger (IAUC 7534). Z. Sekanina calculated the fragmentation as follows: fragments B and C separated on Nov. 11, 1999 (+/-4d) with a relative speed of 1.7 m/s. Fragment E separated from fragment C in mid-December 1995, 85 days (+/-7d) after perihelion) at a relative speed of < 1 m/s. This fragment was not discovered until its conjunction with the Sun, because the distance to C was less than 1". Only pictures taken in August/September 1996 may reveal it (IAUC 7541).
The intense photographic surveillance by Michael Jäger - despite the unfavourable circumstances - during the period of Nov. 19 to Dec. 24, 2000 revealed the following evolution: the photographic brightness of the main fragment C increased from 12.0m to 10.7m while its diameter remained at 0.7'. The photographic brightness of fragment B increased slightly as well, from 13-14m to 13.2m between Dec. 1 to Dec. 24, the diameter being 0.3'. Fragment E showed a completely different behaviour, its brightness decreased from 12.3m (Dec. 1) to 13.8m (Dec. 24), thereby becoming more ellliptical in shape during this period. This evolution indicates that fragment E is already dissolving. All components showed tails at some time, C one of 20-25' during December, B one of 4' around Dec. 5 and E one of 3-4' on Dec. 5, the first 1.5' being bright.
The few observations indicate a maximum brightness of about 10.0m in December/January.
Andreas Kammerer