THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 11 1987 Mar 08 15.05UT. Variable Object in Monoceros= Q1987/8 Robert McNaught has telephoned from Australia to report that he has recorded a mag 9 star, on photos of Mar 7 taken with a 85mm lens on Tri-X, at the following position: RA 7h23m.3 DEC -03 00 (1950). The object also shows on a trailed photo of Feb 18 possibly just fainter than mag 9.0. However on Feb 3 and 7 there is no object brighter than 11. There is a star of mag 11.0 near the position but it is not clear whether this is the same object. N. James, Chelmsford, reports that his photo of this region taken for the Nova Patrol on Feb 20.87 does not show the object to mag 9.0. The Editor notes that the mag 11 star appears on AAVSO (c) chart for BX Mon (1/72 revision) 93mm from right hand frame edge and 60mm from the bottom inner frame line. He further notes that there is a star of mag 11.0 on a nova patrol photo by J.Grills on 1983 Jan 6.93UT (135mm f4 Tri-X). Photos and visual estimates are urgently required to establish the nature of this object. Supernova 1987A in LMC. Robert McNaught also mentions that this object remains constant at around mag 4.4 as at Mar 7. It is now thought that the progenitor is not the mag 12.2 star (=star 1) as the latter's spectrum as recorded by IUE remains normal. The candidate may be a companion which is too close for detection on previous plates. n Feb 3 and 7 there is no object brighter than 11. There is a star of mag 11.0 near the position