THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 545 1991 July 27 14.45UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 Telex: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G JANET BOXES: GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK or GUYH at UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 PRESTEL 256471074 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 1991am IN MCG +06-37-006 C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, reports his discovery, on a technical pan film (limiting mag 21.5) taken on July 14.92UT by D. Albanese, of an apparent supernova of mag 19.0 located in MCG +06-37-006 at R.A. = 16h40m05s.67, Decl. = +37 49'49".6 1950). A July 24.90 red exposure (limiting mag 20) by Pollas shows the object at R about 19. The host galaxy is a face-on spiral galaxy (mag 16) with center at R.A. = 16h40m05s.36, Decl. =+37 49'43".5; a nearby star of mag 15 is at R.A. = 16h40m01s.10, Decl. = +37 50'25".7. Nothing is present on the POSS prints to B = 21 and R = 20. IAUC 5312 FG SERPENTIS Patrick Schmeer, Germany e-mails that this star of type ZAND+E is apparently undergoing an eclipse: 1990 Sept 11.845UT, 11.4; 13.849, 11.4; 15.843, 11.4; 16.865, 11.4; 28.795, 11.3; Oct 10.793, 11.3; 12.797, 11.3; 22.783, 11.4; 24.781, 11.4; Nov 7.759, 11.4; 1991 Apr. 12.156, 11.5; June 19.057, 11.5; July 21.936, 12.4. The previous eclipse started 1989 October (cf IAUC 4886). The precise position is: RA 18h12m33s DEC -00 19'53"(1950). POSSIBLE OUTBURST OF V632 CYGNI (Q1991/65) There has been no response to the initial e-mail appeal for help in confirming a minor outburst of this star reported by Gary Poyner of Birmingham who estimated it at 14.9 on July 24.01UT. On July 22.01UT he did not see the star to a limit of 15.3. If anyone has recent estimates please e-mail details. POSSIBLE VARIABLE NEAR MESSIER 27 (=Q1991/66) Maurice Gavin, Worcester Park, Surrey has sent a CCD picture of Messier 27 in which he notes that a star approximately 170" in PA 280 degrees from the nebula's central star is bright on his frame of 1991 June 14 (00.59UT). On his photograph the star is about magnitude 15 with a magnitude 14 star 10" north. The Editor notes the star is not recorded to at least magnitude 15 on photos by J.R.Fletcher (1988 July 11, T-Max 3200) and by G.J.Johnstone (1987 Sept 24) both on TA covers. However the star, although very faint, is noticeably very red on a Hale colour photograph in the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy p293. The editor would welcome further results especially based on a series using the same emulsion. The position is : RA 19h57.6m DEC +22 37' (1950). EDITORS ABSENCE Subscribers are reminded that the editor will be away from July 28 to August 10 and that instructions for contributions and discoveries are given in E544 Guy M Hurst