------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1158 1997 Jan 12 15.25UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074 INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 1996cd IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur (OCA), reports his discovery of an apparent supernova (V about 18.5) on films taken on 1996 Dec. 16.06 and 16.12 UT. SN 1996cd is located at R.A. = 7h57m20s.73, Decl. = +11o12'23".7 (equinox 2000.0), which is 15".5 east and 2".3 north of the centre of a spiral galaxy (and located on the eastern arm of the galaxy). OCA films taken on 1997 Jan. 5.08 and 5.11 show the supernova about half a magnitude fainter than on the Dec. films. Nothing is visible at the position of SN 1996cd on 1995 OCA films or on the original Palomar Sky Survey prints. A nearby star (V about 16) is at position end figures 21s.07, 34".1. IAUC 6531 SUPERNOVA 1997A IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY J. Maza, Department of Astronomy, University of Chile, reports the discovery of a supernova on a CCD image taken on Jan. 3.32 UT with the Curtis-Schmidt telescope at Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (CTIO), as part of a new Calan/Tololo supernova search involving P. F. Ortiz, L. Campusano, M. Wischnjewsky, and R. Antezana, University of Chile; M. M. Phillips, N. B. Suntzeff, R. Schommer, A. Clocchiatti, and R. Covarrubias, CTIO; and B.Schmidt, Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories. The supernova was confirmed via CCD images taken by M. T. Ruiz and M. Wischnjewsky at the 0.9-m CTIO telescope on Jan. 8.1, from which are estimated the following magnitudes: B = 18.52, V = 18.55. A position for SN 1997A measured from the Digital Sky Survey is R.A. = 4h31m33s.39, Decl. = -61o07'10".4 (equinox 2000.0); the object is located 4".9 west and 0".1 north of the host galaxy's centre. SN 1997A is not present (to V = 20.5) on a CCD frame obtained by L. Campusano with the Curtis-Schmidt telescope on 1996 Dec. 14.2. IAUC 6531 (extract) COMET 1997 A1 E. F. Helin, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on behalf of the Near-Earth-Asteroid Tracking Team (cf. IAUC 6341), reports the discovery of a comet on images obtained by the on-site USAF/Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance Team in Hawaii. Available precise positions: 1997 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. m1 Observer Jan. 10.51495 9 39 18.96 +16 26 18.9 18.6 Helin 10.52334 9 39 17.97 +16 26 28.9 18.8 " 10.53174 9 39 17.04 +16 26 38.6 18.9 " 11.33935 9 37 46.18 +16 42 31.0 18.9 Rabinowitz 11.34959 9 37 45.11 +16 42 43.9 " E. F. Helin, K. J. Lawrence and S. Pravdo (Haleakala-NEAT/GEODSS). 1-m f/2.2 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD. Images clearly diffuse. IAUC 6532 (extract) Guy M Hurst