HURUHATAS VARIABLE REVEALED - THE WZ SGE-TYPE DWARF NOVA EG CANCRI

Time-resolved CCD photometric observations of a dwarf nova EG Cnc were carried out during an outburst which occurred after a 19-year quiesce nt interval, since 1977 November. Our observations between 1996 Decemb er 2 and 14 revealed this outburst to be a definite superoutburst, eve ntually enabling a definite, classification of this object as an SU UM a-type dwarf nova. This outburst was characterized by its long duratio n of more than two weeks and a large amplitude of at least 6.7 mag. Th e object showed two distinct types of superhumps: double-peaked modula tions attributable to ''early superhumps'' with a period of 0.0582 +/- 0.00025 d in the earlier stage of the current outburst, followed by f ully grown typical superhumps with a period of 0.0603 +/- 0.00006 d. W e regard the period of 0.0582 d as being the orbital period of the obj ect with a 3.7% superhump excess ratio. These characteristics suggest a strong resemblance to an extreme rare class of dwarf novae including WZ Sge, HV Vir, and AL Com with some other similarities between EG Cn c and the WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. The existence of double-peaked ''ea rly superhumps'' in the early stage of superoutbursts may be a new def ining criterion for the WZ Sge-type dwarf novae.