THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 686 1992 Nov 21 18.33UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 TELEX: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 GMH at UK.AC.RUTHERFORD.STARLINK.ASTROPHYSICS STARLINK: RLSAC::GMH GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK STARLINK: CAVAD::GMH ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 1992bj IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, reports his discovery, on films taken Oct. 17.90 and 18.93 UT, of a supernova (mag about 19.5-20) located about 0".1 west and 4".9 north of the nucleus of a galaxy of mag about 18 (R.A. = 23h19m21s.8, Decl.= +24 53'02", equinox 1950.0), near SAO 91205. The supernova's position has end figures 22s.42, 06".4. Nothing is visible at this location on a Technical Pan plate from 1990 or on the prints of the Palomar Sky Survey. IAUC 5656 NSV 1671 A. Bradley, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Operations, Goddard Space Flight Center; and D. Hoffleit and I. Platais, Department of Astronomy, Yale University, report: "During the routine operation of the HST Fixed Head Star Trackers on Nov. 4.642 UT, a considerable fade in brightness, to mag 6.9 for at least 3 hr, was noticed of the star HR 1469 = 49 Eri = NSV 1671 (normally at V = 5.31). Cousins (1963, MNASSA 22, 12) reported on possible variability of 0.08 mag, but the large decrease in brightness observed by the FHST has not been recorded before, to our knowledge. To investigate in more detail the nature of the light variability in HR 1469, we would encourage professional and amateur astronomers to monitor for the possible light change as well as to check the photographic plates for other minima in the past." IAUC 5656 Editor: We would appreciate comments from our group on this report NOVA IN M31 James Bryan, Georgetown, TX, reports his discovery of a nova in the nuclear bulge of M31, found on Technical Pan photographs taken by W. Wren using the McDonald Observatory 0.76-m telescope. The nova is located at R.A. = 0h40m16s.5 +/- 0s.5, Decl. =+40 58'11" +/- 5" (equinox 1950.0). A field star (star 51 of Ciardullo et al. 1987, Ap.J. 318, 520; B = 17.1, V = 16.4) is located 11" west-northwest of the nova. The following V magnitudes are available (those by Bryan were from Tech Pan photographs with a 0.40-m telescope): Oct. 26.09 UT, [18.5 (Bryan); Nov. 9.08, 17.2 (Wren); 11.17, 17.2 (Wren); 15.11, 17.2 (Bryan). IAUC 5658 PERIODIC COMET SWIFT-TUTTLE (1992t) Nick James, Chelmsford advises us that his report on E684 contained an error. The coma diameter was 6' rather than 3' as stated earlier. V635 CAS Professional astronomers in the USA have again asked us to monitor V635 Cas, optical component of the x-ray object 4U0115+63. The star is located at: RA 01h 15m 13.8s DEC +63 28'38" [1950]. The current TA chart as a sequence reference 900421. Please e-mail estimates on a weekly basis. NOVA IN LMC 1992 Further estimates e-mailed by Paul Camilleri (Australia): 1992 Nov 14.597UT, 10.7; 15.451, 11.0; 15.559, 11.0; 16.475, 11.5 Guy M Hurst