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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1739      2002 Feb 02 19.36UT
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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COMET 2002 C1
We have learnt from the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
that Kaoru Ikeya of Mori, Shuchi, Shizuoka, Japan has discovered a
new comet visually with a 0.25-m reflector. An independent
discovery, also presumably by visual means, has been made by Daqing
Zhang of China with a 0.2-m reflector. Both observers have reported
a coma diameter of 2-3'. The following positions appeared on IAUC
7812:

2002 Feb 1.408  RA 00h 08.9m DEC -17 42' (2000) m1=9.0 Ikeya
         1.47      00  09        -17 30            8.5 Zhang

SUPERNOVA 2002ap in MESSIER 74
Since the discovery details given on The Astronomer E-Circular
1738, K.Kinugasa and H.Kawakita, Gunma Astronomical Observatory
(GAO) have reported on IAU circular 7811 that a low-resolution
spectrum of 2002 Jan 31 with the GAO 0-65-m telescope show features
resembling the peculiar type-Ib/c supernova (or 'hypernova')
1997ef, although 2002ap is much bluer.

Those attending the RAS/BAA Symposium in Cambridge last Saturday
will have heard Peter Meikle and Stephen Smartt stress the
importance of early results on supernovae, especially those of
type-Ia. 

They have now reported for SN 2002ap that R. Ostensen has obtained
a spectrum with the William Herschel Telescope on Jan 30. They
comment on IAUC 7811 that the spectrum shows a blue continuum with
broad absorption features at about 448.0, 557.5, and 719.5 nm. They
add that these features are similar to SN 1998bw and that the
current object may be a younger and/or more energetic version of SN
1998bw.

Maurice Gavin, Worcester Park, England, has submitted an image of
this supernova obtained on 2002 Jan 31.9409UT with the 0.30-m
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope just before the field became obscured
by trees. 

Eight visual estimates so far seen suggest the object may have
brightened from about magnitude 13.4 on Jan 31 to 13.0 by Feb 2 and
therefore as it may be on the rise, it is certainly a high priority
object.

V838 MONOCEROTIS ( = PECULIAR VARIABLE IN MONOCEROS)
N. N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Moscow, advises that the
designation V838 Mon has been assigned to this variable object
reported on The Astronomer E-Circular 1732.

Guy M Hurst