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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1687      2001 Sep 11 12.02UT
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.theastronomer.org
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SUPERNOVA 2001ef IN IC 381 (Q2001/254)
On 2001 September 9, Mark Armstrong reported to the editor that he
had recorded a possible supernova in IC 381 on five images of that
date, initially on a 60 second integration. Later on that day, he
reported a follow-up image (60secs exposure) had been obtained by
Nick James on Sept. 9.90678UT with a 0.30-m Newtonian and
unfiltered CCD which clearly showed the object. The following IAUC
announcement has now appeared and we congratulate Mark on yet
another success. 

Guy M. Hurst, Basingstoke, England, reports the discovery by Mark
Armstrong (Rolvenden, England) of an apparent supernova (mag 16.1)
on unfiltered CCD images taken on Sept. 9.066 and 9.160 UT in the
course of the U.K. Nova/Supernova Patrol with a 0.36-m Schmidt-
Cassegrain telescope.  An image by Armstrong on Sept. 9.907 yields
mag 16.0; a confirming image was also obtained by N. James
(Chelmsford, England) on Sept. 9.900.  SN 2001ef is located at R.A.
= 4h44m28s.56, Decl. = +75o38'30".3 (equinox 2000.0; average of
three measures), which is 1" east and 8" north of the centre of IC
381.  Nothing appears at this location on images taken by Armstrong
on 2000 Oct. 9 (limiting mag 19.5) and 2001 Aug. 17 and 29; nothing
is visible on second Palomar Sky Survey images taken on 1995 May 19
(blue, limiting mag 22.5), 1996 Dec. 8 (red, limiting mag 20.8),
and 1997 July 19 (infrared).  Hurst adds that nothing is present at
this position in an image in J. C. Vickers' Deep Space CCD Atlas
North (1993, p. 44; limiting mag about 19.5). A. Miceli, C. Stubbs,
and C. Hastings find the new object to be 0".33 east and 7".3 north
of the galaxy's centre; their preliminary photometry with the
Apache Point 3.5-m telescope on Sept. 10.44 yields u' about 17.5,
g' about 17.3, r' about 16.5, i' about 16.9, z' about 16.1.
IAUC 7710

V4740 SAGITTARII = NOVA SAGITTARII 2001 No. 3
N. N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Moscow, informs us that the
designation V4740 Sgr has been given to the nova reported on
TA E-Circular 1685.

J. D. West, Mulvane, KS, reports the following CCD photometry
for V4740 Sgr:  Sept. 7.085 UT, V = 6.45 +/- 0.05; 7.090, I_c =
6.11 +/- 0.06; 7.131, V = 6.69 +/- 0.05.  W. Liller, Vina del Mar,
Chile, reports broadband V = 6.87 from a CCD image taken on Sept.
7.0039.  West provides the following position measured from one of
his images:  R.A. = 18h11m45s.98, Decl. = -30o30'49".5 (2000).

H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, reports that the closest object
visible on the Digital Sky Survey red plate (limiting mag about 20)
is a star of red mag about 17 at approximate position end figures
45s.87, 53".3.
IAUC 7708 (extract)

NOVA IN M31
M. Fiaschi, F. Di Mille, and R. Cariolato, Astronomical Observatory
G. Colombo, Padua, report their discovery of an apparent nova at
R.A. = 0h42m34s.55, Decl. = +41o18'13".8 (2000), which is about
146" west and 124" north of the centre of M31.  The CCD images were
obtained with an H-alpha filter (6.3-nm FWHM) and a 0.41-m
reflector, yielding the following magnitudes: Sept. 2.93 UT, 15.9;
3.90, 15.8.  Nothing was visible at this position on an image taken
on Aug. 27.9 (limiting mag 17.5).
IAUC 7709 (extract)

Guy M Hurst