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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1720      2001 Dec 11 09.26UT
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 2001if NEAR MCG +06-6-43 (Q2001/271)
On December 10 at 03.17UT a message was received from Tom Boles
that he had imaged a possible supernova in MCG +06-6-43 on Dec
9.98UT and again on a follow-up image of Dec 10.01UT at R=17.2 and
17.1 respectively. The discovery was made on a 30 second
integration with the 0.36-m Schmidt-Cassegrain where the estimated
limiting magnitude was 18.5. Checks for known minor planets were
negative and the editor noted the object was not in the A2.0
listing. Further images by Mark Armstrong and Tom Boles on the
evening of December 10 confirmed no movement and eliminated a
possible uncatalogued asteroid as a candidate. The object is quite
distant from the possible parent (70" west of the galaxy) and as
there are several other galaxies nearby it is not possible to be
sure of the link with MCG +06-6-43 at this stage.

The following IAU Circular has now been issued and we congratulate
Tom on this further success.

Guy M. Hurst, Basingstoke, England, reports the discovery by Tom
Boles, Coddenham, England, of an apparent supernova (mag 17.2) on a
30-s unfiltered CCD image taken on Dec. 9.986 UT in the course of
the U.K. Nova/Supernova Patrol with the 0.36-m 'A' Schmidt-
Cassegrain reflector.  The new object, which appeared at similar
brightness on images taken on Dec. 10.016 and 10.788, is located at
R.A. = 2h28m54s.93, Decl. = +38o05'52".7 (equinox 2000.0; average
from the three images), which is 70" west and 3" south of the
nucleus of MCG +06-6-43.  M. Armstrong, Rolvenden, England, reports
that a CCD image taken on Dec. 10.785 also shows the new star.
Boles notes that SN 2001if is absent from his master image taken on
Sept. 10.997 (limiting mag 18.5) and was not recorded on Palomar
Sky Survey images taken in 1986 (red, limiting mag 21) and 1993
(blue, limiting mag 20).  Hurst adds that MCG +06-6-43 is the
brightest galaxy in the discovery field, but there are several
other galaxies nearby and the parent galaxy is not entirely
certain.
IAUC 7771

Guy M Hurst