THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 725       1993 Apr 04 10.16UT
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 1993K IN NGC 2223
A. Williams, University of Western Australia; and R. Martin, Perth
Observatory, report their discovery of a possible supernova of mag
14.5 approximately 30" east and 31" north of the nucleus of
NGC 2223 (R.A. = 6h22m.5, Decl. = -22D49', equinox 1950.0).  The
discovery was made on Mar. 28.55 UT in the course of the Perth
Observatory Research Group's automated supernova search program,
using the 0.61-m Perth-Lowell automated telescope.  The object was
reobserved on Mar. 29.5, but it had not been present on Mar. 10.5.

P. C. Schmidtke, Arizona State University, obtained BVRI images
of the field with the 0.9-m telescope at the Cerro Tololo
Interamerican Observatory, starting on Mar. 30.09 UT.  He confirmed
the presence of a star approximately 30" east and 28" north of the
center of the galaxy, quick-look photometry yielding V = 15.4,
B-V = +0.2, V-R = +0.1.

M. M. Phillips, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, reports
that J. Maza and M. Wischnjewsky, University of Chile, obtained a
low-resolution spectrum suggesting it is a type II event in an
early stage.
IAUC 5733

PERIODIC COMET SWIFT-TUTTLE (1992t)
Total visual magnitude estimates: Feb. 24.76 UT, 9.2 (D. A. J.
Seargent, The Entrance, N.S.W., 25 x 100 binoculars); 26.76, 9.4
(P. Camilleri, Cobram, Vic., Australia, 20 x 80 binoculars);
Mar. 3.76, 9.7 (Camilleri); 21.77, 10.0 (Camilleri, 0.20-m
reflector); 23.74, 10.2 (Camilleri).
IAUC 5734

SUPERNOVA 1993J in NGC 3031
J.-M. Perelmuter, Observatoire du Mont Megantic, Universite de
Montreal, notes the presence on Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope 1980
plates and Kitt Peak National Observatory 1990 CCD images of an
object within 0".2 of the position of SN 1993J quoted by Hartwick
et al. (cf E7240. The object appears stellar on images with FWHM as
small as 1".0 and had V = 20.0, B-V = +1.1, V-R = +0.7 (uncertainty
0.1 mag) in Mar. 1990.
IAUC 5736

NO NOVA IN OPHIUCHUS
Using AST.EXE by N.James, the Editor finds that the proposed nova
in Oph (cf E723) is in fact the asteroid (20) Massalia. An
independent e-mail report from Jean-Claude Merlin in France
confirms this identification.