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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1398      1999 Apr 15 05.02UT
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 1999bt IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
G. M. Hurst, Basingstoke, England, reports the discovery by
T.Boles, Wellingborough, of an apparent supernova (mag about 17) on
exposures taken with a 0.14-m f/11 (+ AP7 camera) for the U.K.
Nova/Supernova Patrol on Apr. 9.120 and 13.088 UT.  The new object
is in the field of IC 1254 but is probably linked to a much fainter
galaxy just south of the suspect.  M. Armstrong, Rolvenden, has
measured the following precise position from the discovery exposure
of Apr. 9:  R.A. = 17h11m37s.77, Decl. = +72o25'15".5 (equinox
2000.0).  Hurst notes that the new object does not appear on the
Palomar Sky Survey (1953 June 15) or on the second generation sky
survey images (epoch 1993.625) at the Space Telescope Science
Institute website.

S. Jha, P. Garnavich, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, report that a spectrum of SN
1999bt was obtained by M. Calkins on Apr. 14.5 UT with the F. L.
Whipple Observatory (FLWO) 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST spectrograph)
and reveals it to be a type-Ia supernova, about two weeks past
maximum light.  Concurrent images taken at the FLWO 1.2-m telescope
(+ 4Shooter) by L. Macri yield V = 18.1 for the supernova, which is
located 4" west and 10" north of the host galaxy.  Cross-
correlation of the host-galaxy spectrum with an absorption-line
template yields a recession velocity of 14 960 +/- 60 km/s.

Editor: Congratulations to Tom from the whole TA team on this
latest success!

Guy M Hurst