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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1275      1998 Mar 01 15.11UT
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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AK CANCRI (Q1998/019)
Jochen Pietz, Germany and Bill Worraker, Didcot, England
independently report an outburst of AK Cancri, a UGSU star on
the recurrent objects list of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol.
Available estimates:
1998 Feb 26.574UT, [14.6 (S.Takahashi, Japan, relayed by T Kato)
         28.85   ,  13.4 (Pietz)
         28.892  ,  13.3 (Worraker, 0.26-m refl.)
Gary Poyner advises that the last recorded outburst was on
1997 Apr 23.

Q1995/033
Margareta Westlund, Uppsala, Sweden e-mails that this possible
mira-type variable originally reported on E938 of 1995 Mar 18
has again been detected bright. Karl-Gustav Andersson of Sweden
confirms this brightening:

1998 Feb 28.804UT, 13.5 (Westlund, 0.21-m T)
         28.806UT, 13.7 (Andersson, 0.26-m refl.)
The original position given on E938 was:
RA 21h55m52s DEC +63 58.3 (1950)
Photographic or CCD images of this field and the variable would
be much appreciated.

SOLAR ECLIPSE, 1998 Feb 26
Martin Mobberley has telephoned to confirm that this eclipse
was observed in clear skies from Curacao and that a video of
the event plus several associated interviews was obtained.
Further details on this will be released upon his return.

SUPERNOVA 1998R IN UGC 6271
S. Jha, P. Garnavich and R. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics, report the discovery by P. Berlind and B. Carter
of a supernova in UGC 6271.  Supernova 1998R was found on Feb. 23.5
UT with the Whipple Observatory's 1.5-m reflector + FAST
spectrograph during the course of the CfA Spectral Type Survey.  A
spectrum of the supernova reveals that it is of type II and after
maximum: it displays a prominent P-Cyg H-alpha profile with an
expansion velocity of 6200 km/s.  The host galaxy's recession
velocity, measured from narrow emission lines, is 2006 +/- 40 km/s.
Confirming CCD images taken by D. Koranyi with the 1.2-m telescope
yield for the supernova a precise position of:
R.A. = 11h14m37s.03s, Decl. = +30d18'51".7 (2000.0), which is
offset 3".1 west and 0".8 north from the centre of the galaxy.
The estimated apparent magnitude of the supernova is V = 16.
IAUC 6826 (extract)

Guy M Hurst