EXTREMELY RARE OUTBURST OF NS PERSEI Last morning I found NS Per in an apparent outburst at mag 14.4 on an unfiltered CCD image that had been taken at my request by Robert Fried (Braeside Observatory) on Mar. 22.096 UT. In order to confirm this outburst R. Fried obtained this morning three further images (in B, V, C), which show NS Per still in outburst. Using the VSNet sequence I get the following magnitude estimates: PERNS 990322.096 14.4C Scp PERNS 990323.134 14.3V Scp PERNS 990323.136 14.5C Scp (a more accurate photometry will hopefully follow soon) NS Per (= S8554) was discovered by Cuno Hoffmeister , who classified it as a dwarf nova with a magnitude range of 15-[18. According to its discoverer this variable is visible on only four Sonneberg plates (photographic magnitudes): 1938 Sept. 21, 14.8; Sept. 25, 17; 1939 Aug. 14, 15; 1943 Apr. 5, 16 (AN 289, No. 1-2, 1-21, 1966) As far as I know there is only one other recorded outburst of NS Per. By coincidence(???) this CV is bright (V= 14.70, calibration GSC) on a CCD image that was obtained on 1990 Dec. 15.630 UT for the VSNet chart. No outbursts can be found in the VSNet and AAVSO databases. High-speed photometry and spectroscopy during the current outburst are very strongly recommended. Coordinates (from DWS): R.A. 04h18m44.50s Decl. +51d07'30.7" (J2000.0) I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Robert Fried for taking the CCD images for me. Regards, Patrick