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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1400      1999 Apr 18 14.40UT
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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COMET 1999 H1
Steven Lee reports his visual discovery of a comet at a star party
near Mudgee, New South Wales.  The following observations are
available:

     1999 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m1    Observer
     Apr. 16.5       14.0          -69            9     Lee
          16.59549   13 49 24.64   -68 21 33.6          Garradd
          16.59650   13 49 23.58   -68 21 33.3            "
          16.59941   13 49 20.80   -68 21 32.3            "
          16.61689   13 49 03.53   -68 21 26.4            "
          16.61777   13 49 02.67   -68 21 26.0            "
          16.61839   13 49 02.14   -68 21 25.7            "

S. Lee (Mudgee, N.S.W.).  Comet diffuse with no visible tail.
G. J. Garradd (Loomberah).  0.45-m f/5.4 reflector + CCD.  m_2 =
13.9-14.2.  Visually, the comet has a 3' coma slightly elongated
northward.
IAUC 7144

Andrew Pearce, Nedlands, Australia has e-mailed TA to report he
has seen this new comet visually:

1999 Apr 17.462UT, m1=9.2, coma diameter 2.0', DC5. 0.41-m
reflector. Moderately condensed bright object. He adds that he
was observing several variables within about 10-15 degrees of
the discovery position on April 16!

1999 Apr 17.765UT, m1=9.1, coma diameter 2.4', DC6. 0.41-m
reflector.

1999 GU3
Gary Poyner reports that he has seen this asteroid (cf E1397)
visually. On 1999 April 15.000UT, estimated magnitude 14.8
(0.40-m reflector). He adds that it was then near the W CrB
(mira) variable star field.

SUPERNOVA 1999bu IN NGC 3786
W. D. Li, University of California at Berkeley, on behalf of
the Lick Observatory Supernova Search with the 0.8-m Katzman
Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT), reports the discovery of an
apparent supernova in NGC 3786, a Seyfert galaxy that is in a
pair of interacting galaxies (Arp 294 and NGC 3788).
SN 1999bu was discovered on an unfiltered image taken on Apr. 16.3
UT (mag about 17.5).  Inspection of earlier images taken by KAIT
reveals that the supernova was barely visible on Mar. 13.3 and
clearly present on Mar. 28.3 (mag about 17.6).  The new object is
located at R.A. = 11h39m42s.50, Decl. = +31o54'29".1 (2000), which
is about 1".3 west and 3".1 south of the nucleus of NGC 3786.
IAUC 7145 (extract)

Guy M Hurst