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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1866      2003 Mar 16 09.40UT
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 2003bv IN MCG +07-15-15
An e-mail was received from Tom Boles on March 14 reporting that he
had detected a possible supernova in MCG +07-15-15 on 2003 March
11.995UT during the course of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. The
object was initially recorded at magnitude 17.7 on an unfiltered
CCD image obtained with a 0.35-m Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a
follow-up observation on March 13.918UT showed a brightening to
magnitude 16.8.

The measured position is: RA 07h 22m 11.92s DEC +40 28' 01.5"
(2000) which is approximately 3.4" E and 5.3" S of the centre of
MCG +07-15-15. The suspect is not present on Tom's images from Feb.
18 (limiting mag 19.5), and Feb 1, (limiting mag 19.0) and it is
also not present on Palomar Sky Survey II, red plates (1991.110)
and blue plates (1997.266).

The discovery was initially announced on Electronic Telegram No 11
issued by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams where it
was designated Supernova 2003bv. Subsequently a formal announcement
was also made on IAUC 8093. Congratulations to Tom on his 41st
supernova discovery.

SUPERNOVA 2003bw IN IC 1077
The LOTOSS team have announced the discovery of a mag 18.0 possible
supernova in IC 1077 according to IAUC 8093. The initial detection
was on a KAIT image of March 12.5UT and the object is located at:
RA 14h 57m 22.44s DEC -19 12' 45.9" (2000). 10.6"E and 3.3"N of the
host galaxy.

SUPERNOVAE 2003bx, 2003by, 2003bz, 2003ca
The Deep Lens Survey Transient Team have announced details of the
above four supernovae detected between March 3-8. All are of
magnitude 20 or fainter according to IAUC 8093.

COMET 66P/DU TOIT
J. V. Scotti has, according to IAUC 8093, recovered this comet with
the 1.8-m Spacewatch II telescope on Mar 10. The indicated
correction to the prediction on MPC 40670 is Delta(T) = -0.25 day.
Selected positions follow:

2003 03 10.51409 13 13 02.84 +01 55 42.9          20.5 T      291
2003 03 10.52942 13 13 02.23 +01 55 42.6          20.5 T      291
2003 03 11.44080 13 12 26.56 +01 55 18.3          20.3 T      291
2003 03 11.45563 13 12 25.95 +01 55 17.7          20.4 T      291
M.P.E.C. 2003-E57

Guy M Hurst