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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 943       1995 Apr 06 20.01UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
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EDITOR'S ABSENCE
The Editor will be absence and not contactable on the nights of
April 10-12. During that time please continue to send messages to
the Editor's boxes but IN ADDITION send copies to Martin Mobberley
on Compuserve 100413,760. For variable star alerts please
telephone Gary Poyner as detailed in TA.

AL COMA BERENICES
Following the announcement on E942 of an outburst of this object
the e-chart below is based on the TA paper version previously
revised 830403. Although there is some uncertainty regarding the
precise position, this chart should be accurate enough to identify
the star during its current outburst.
\\\\\\AL Com   b                 Near Messier 88
S,400,3,S
-C,12.5406, 14.3494,2000
O,200,200,12,20.5p
-L,L,AL Com
P,12h 29.9m  +14 37'  (1950)
-T,UG Seq:Stanton/Bertola
-G,78,129,200,100,140
-L,R,M88
-S,TA950406
R,11.85,88,226,A
R,11.96,60,42,B
R,13.2,260,305,E
R,13.51,123,214,C
R,13.85,120,301,D
R,14.74,117,45,F
R,15.5,157,126,J
R,16.5,203,191,K,R
M,10,92,217
M,12,334,267,318,262,346,96
M,13,381,18
M,14,288,384,100,148,43,312
M,15,97,154,348,76,84,315,87,235,79,347
M,16,206,184
E,23
////// Basic chart automatically generated by CHART ver 1.6

ALPHA ORIONIS
E. Guinan and D. Steelman, Villanova University, report that
Betelgeuse is currently undergoing another major dimming episode.
Since 1994 Sept., its brightness at optical wavelengths has
decreased by about 0.4 mag.  When last measured on 1995 Mar.10,
it was at V = +0.80.
IAUC 6150

SUPERNOVA 1995I IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur (OCA), reports his
discovery of an apparent supernova of mag V about 19.5 on two films
taken by Pollas and D. Albanese with the OCA 0.9-m Schmidt
telescope on Feb. 28.15 and Mar. 1.15 UT.  SN 1995I is located at
R.A. = 13h20m59s.85, Decl. = +3o35'56".2 (equinox 2000.0), which is
0".5 west and 5".8 north of the galaxy's centre, at the northern
tip of the host galaxy.  Another technical pan film (limiting mag
22) taken by Albanese and A. Maury on Mar. 24.08 shows that the
object has faded by about 1 mag or more, to mag 20.5-21.0.

Guy M Hurst