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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1175      1997 Mar 09 15.09UT
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
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SUPERNOVA 1997aa IN IC 2102
W.-d. Li, Y.-l. Qiu, Q.-y. Qiaom and J.-y. Hu, Beijing Astronomical
Observatory (BAO), on behalf of the BAO supernova survey, report
the discovery of a supernova on CCD images of IC 2102 taken on
Mar. 1.5 UT with the BAO 0.60-m reflector.  SN 1997aa is located at
R.A. = 4h51m53s.6, Decl. = -4 57'36" (equinox 2000.0),
which is 25" west and 29" south of the centre of IC 2102.
Available unfiltered CCD magnitudes:  Mar. 1.5, about 17.0; 2.5,
about 16.7.  A low-resolution spectrum (40 nm/mm, range 350-930 nm)
obtained by Q.-r. Yuan (Nanjing Normal University) and W. Liu and
W.-d. Li (BAO) on Mar. 2.5 with the BAO 2.16-m telescope at
Xinglong station shows that this is an type-II supernova prior to
optical maximum.  There are weak, yet conspicuous, H Balmer lines
superimposed on a very blue continuum.  The expansion velocity of
the photosphere is 15 000 km/s (as derived from the H-alpha line).
H-beta could be seen only marginally.
IAUC 6572

OCCULTATION OF ALDEBARAN, 1997 MARCH 14
David Dunham e-mails:
500 years ago (actually, on March 9, 1497), Copernicus observed an
occultation of Aldebaran from Bologna, Italy, where he was studying
astronomy.  Occultations of Aldebaran and of other first-magnitude
stars were also observed earlier without optical aid by Greek,
Roman, Chinese, Arabian, and Japanese astronomers.
We have an opportunity for a unique commemoration of Copernicus'
observation with a similarly good occultation of Aldebaran visible
from virtually all of Europe and the Middle East on Friday evening,
March 14th. This is the first crescent-Moon occultation of a
first-magnitude star visible from a heavily populated area since
camcorders became ubiquitous during the last few years.

Details of predicted disappearance times follow:

Lunar Occultation of 1.1-mag. Aldebaran on 1997 March 14
Disappearance, Moon  37+ % sunlit, Solar elongation  75 degrees

                     Univ. T. Sun   Moon  Cusp Pos  W.   a    b
Location              h  m  s Alt Alt  Az  Ang Ang Ang  m/o  m/o
Liverpool England    18 39  9  -4  50 211  70N  63  72 +1.4 +0.3
Birmingham England   18 40 39  -5  50 214  72N  66  75 +1.4 +0.2
London England       18 42 59  -7  50 218  76N  69  78 +1.4 -0.0

Lunar Occultation of 1.1-mag. Aldebaran on 1997 March 14
Reappearance, Moon  38+ % sunlit, Solar elongation  76 degrees

                     Univ. T. Sun   Moon  Cusp Pos  W.   a    b
Location              h  m  s Alt Alt  Az  Ang Ang Ang  m/o  m/o
Liverpool England    19 49 26      43 233 -68N 286 295 +1.1 -1.7
Birmingham England   19 52 15      42 236 -70N 283 292 +1.1 -1.6
London England       19 55 38      42 240 -73N 281 290 +1.0 -1.6

If observers require a full copy of the guidance notes received
from David Dunham which in particular stress the use of video
recorders for this event please e-mail the Editor without delay
and these can be forwarded.

Guy M Hurst