------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1717 2001 Dec 02 20.45UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITOR'S ABSENCE This is advance notice that the editor will be away from home from the evening of Wednesday 2001 December 5 and will return on Sunday December 9. During that period, please send routine e-mails to the usual mailbox of the editor. However for potential discoveries please also e-mail the editor BUT IN ADDITION telephone Nick James on: (01245) 354366 with brief details. The editor can also be contacted for any URGENT matters 09.00-22.00UT on the following mobile telephone number: (07905) 332226 SUPERNOVA 2001gd IN NGC 5033 S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 16.5) by K. Itagaki, Yamagata, Japan, on CCD images taken with a 0.60-m f/6.0 reflector on Nov. 24.820 UT. Itagaki remarked that the new object is located about 3' north-northwest of the centre of NGC 5033, and he added that nothing was visible at this position on a CCD frame taken on May 29 (limiting mag 19). Nakano forwards the following precise position for SN 2001gd, which is the average of measurements by Y. Kushida from two CCD images taken by R. Kushida, Yatugatake South Base Observatory, with a 0.40-m f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector (+ CCD) in bright twilight on Nov. 24.851 (when the new object was at mag 17.5) and 25.802 (mag 16.2): R.A. = 13h13m23s.89, Decl. = +36o38'17".7 (2000), which is 3'23" in p.a. 347o from the nucleus of NGC 5033. A. Dimai, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, reports his independent discovery of SN 2001gd (mag about 16.4) on images taken in the course of the CROSS program with a 0.51-m telescope on Nov. 25.21 and 26.21; his position end figures for the new object are 23s.92, 18".2, which is about 52" west and 161" north of the nucleus of NGC 5033. IAUC 7761 (extract) SUPERNOVAE 2001ge-2001gj G. Altavilla, S. Benetti, E. Cappellaro, A. Pastorello, M. Riello, M. Turatto and L. Zampieri, Osservatorio di Padova; A. Clocchiatti and C. Contreras, Universidad Catolica de Chile; I. J. Danziger and P. Mazzali, Osservatorio di Trieste; and F. Patat, European Southern Observatory (ESO), report the discovery of six new supernovae on CCD frames taken on Nov. 11 (and confirmed on Nov. 18) during a search performed with the ESO/MPI 2.2-m telescope (+ Wide Field Imager). The supernovae were identified by comparing Nov. images with reference images taken (using the same equipment) on previous observing runs. The V magnitudes in the table below are listed for Nov. 11 (V_1) and Nov. 18 (V_2). SN R.A. (2000.0) Decl. V_1 V_2 z Type 2001ge 20 31 14.44 -40 35 16.0 22.5 21.4 0.22 Ia 2001gf 22 04 21.27 -18 21 56.8 20.7 20.0 0.20 Ia 2001gg 0 45 20.83 -29 45 12.2 23.7 23.4 0.61 II 2001gh 0 57 03.63 -27 42 32.9 21.6 20.9 0.16: II 2001gi 4 28 07.06 -36 21 45.2 21.0 21.7 0.20 Ia 2001gj 5 38 07.90 -23 42 34.4 22.4 22.8 0.27 II IAUC 7762 (extract) UW PERSEI An exchange of e-mails between Jeff Robertson, USA and the editor has recently taken place regarding identification of this eruptive object charted by 'The Astronomer'. A detailed discussion appeared on CSN 104 (category 4) issued on 2001 Nov 30. Guy M Hurst