------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1818 2002 Oct 24 16.39UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- POSSIBLE OCCULTATION OF HIP 13530 BY 1996TL66 David Dunham, USA has drawn our attention to a possible occultation of the magnitude 8.7 star HIP 13530 (= SAOC 93172) by 1996TL66 (= TNO number 15874). The ephemeris for this asteroid is very uncertain and therefore an occultation may occur from anywhere in Africa, Europe, South America and a large part of North America or could miss the Earth entirely. The coordinates of the star, located in Aries, are: RA 02h 54m 15.20s DEC +13 19' 51.3" (2000). Details and maps from WinOccult are at the address http://www.bitnik.com/mp/images/TL66.gif The predicted closest approach is on Saturday morning, 2002 October 26 at 01.26UT but due to time uncertainty the target star should be monitored from 1:15 to 1:35 UT. This is the day of the TA AGM but there is time to observe the event, have a short rest and still set off for the meeting! According to the Minor Planet Centre the absolute magnitude of this TNO is +5.4 .If its albedo is 0.16, a standard value for classical asteroids, then the diameter is 275 km and the occultation might have a duration of 12 seconds. However the albedo value is uncertain and thus diameter and duration of a possible event are only guesstimates. POSSIBLE NOVA IN NGC 205 K. Itagaki of Japan has reported a possible nova in NGC 205 recorded on multiple unfiltered CCD images obtained on 2002 October 5.56UT with a 0.60-m reflector. The object, of approximately magnitude 16, is located at: RA 00h 40m 15.8s DEC +41 44' 20" (2000). According to IAUC 7984, a confirming image by R. Kushida, yielded end figures of RA 15.26s DEC 19.8". SUPERNOVA 2002gd IN NGC 7537 According to IAUC 7986, reports have been received by the Central Bureau from A. Klotz of France and Tim Puckett of USA, of a possible supernova in NGC 7537. A precise position by Klotz from images with a 0.20-m reflector): RA 23h 14m 36.5s DEC +04 30' 08" (2000), with offsets of 34"E and 8"N of the galaxy's nucleus. On 2002 October 5.92, Klotz estimated the magnitude as about 16.7. SUPERNOVA 2002ge IN NGC 7400 R. Chassagne, Reunion Island, has reported the discovery of a magnitude 14.1 possible supernova in NGC 7400 recorded on an unfiltered CCD image of October 7.90UT according to IAUC 7987. He has measured the following position: RA 22h 54m 21.49s DEC -45 20' 26.9" (2000) with offsets of 4.0"E and 22.6"N of the galaxy's centre. Guy M Hurst