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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1725      2001 Dec 22 14.30UT
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 2001ie IN UGC 5542
A Bincoletto of Italy has discovered a supernova of magnitude 16.5
15" west and 15" south of the nucleus of UGC 5542 on an image of
2001 Dec 9 secured with a 0.30-m reflector. The new object's
position is: RA = 10h 16m 50.70s, DEC +60 16' 44.5" (2000) Further
details appeared on IAUC 7771.

SUPERNOVA 2001ig IN NGC 7424
Bob Evans, Hazelbrook, Australia, TA subscriber, advises that he
has discovered another supernova by visual patrol, this time in NGC
7424. The object was initially estimated at magnitude 14.5 on 2001
Dec 10 and estimated to be 120" east and 100" north of the galaxy's
centre.  

Colin Bembrick, also a TA subscriber obtained a CCD image on the
same day to confirm the discovery. He measured the position as:
RA = 22h 57m 30.69s DEC -41 02' 25.9" (2000).

Andrew Pearce, Western Australia, has reported a brightening to
magnitude 13.5 on 2001 Dec 16.549UT. A further observation on Dec
19.539UT yielded magnitude 13.0.

Berto Monard, Pretoria, South Africa also reported detecting a
brightening from his observations with a 0.32-m f4.8 Newtonian:
2001 Dec 14.75, 14.2; 15.78, 14.0; 16.76, 13.8.

SUPERNOVA 2001ib IN NGC 7242
The object jointly discovered by Ron Arbour and Mark Armstrong,
details of which were given in The Astronomer E-Circular 1719, has
been spectroscopically confirmed.

According to a report by Tom Matheson, Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics, which appeared on IAUC 7773, W. Brown obtained a
spectrum on 2001 Dec 10 with the F.L.Whipple 1.5-m telescope
showing it to be a type Ia at maximum light.

According to a note from Hitoshi Yamaoka in Japan, David Richards
obtained an unfiltered image on 2001 Dec 12.8UT and recorded it at
magnitude 16.5.

OJ287
Gary Poyner, Birmingham, e-mails us to report that the blazar,
OJ287, is undergoing a minor brightening/outburst. On 2001 Dec.
22.010UT he estimated it visually at 14.1.

Mark Kidger, TA Planetary Editor, comments that OJ287 is prone to
short-lived flares of up to one magnitude amplitude. He adds that
they usually last for only a week. He assumes that Gary has picked
one of these up close to or at maximum.

Guy M Hurst