------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1886 2003 May 30 18.50UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVAE 2003dx, 2003dy, 2003dz, 2003ea, 2003eb The above five designations relate to supernovae of magnitude z=24 or fainter which were announced by A. Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute on IAUC 8125. 2003ec This object was originally reported on IAUC 8128 as a possible supernova by A. -C. Chen et. al., National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan as a possible supernova in NGC 5990. It had been recorded at V=16.4 on CCD images of May 2.801UT and is located at: RA 15h 46m 16.67s DEC +2 24' 48.7" (2000). However in a later messages on VSNET, K. Itagaki of Japan reported that this object can be clearly seen on his CCD images taken on 2001 May 13 and 2002 May 3, which suggests that it is a foreground star. The Las Campanas spectrum of this object on May 5.33 UT shows a featureless blue continuum. In the DSS 2 blue image this object emerged from the glow of the host galaxy, though it is buried in DSS red images. The nature of this object is therefore unclear and further observations would be welcomed. SUPERNOVA 2003ed IN NGC 5303A Koichi Itagaki, Japan, has reported a possible supernova of magnitude 15.2 on CCD images of 2003 May 3.496UT. The following precise position has been obtained: RA 13h 47m 45.36s DEC +38 18' 20.3" (2000), placing the object about 8" northeast of the centre of NGC 5303. Tom Matheson has further reported on IAUC 8129 that a spectrum obtained by J. Huchra on May 5.32UT shows it to be a type-II supernova soon after maximum. SUPERNOVA 2003ee IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY W. M. Wood-Vasey has reported details of a supernova on IAUC 8130. This object, of magnitude 16.5, was first recorded on NEAT images of Mar 28.20UT at: RA 11h 33m 24.50s DEC -09 59' 26.4" (2000), 1"E and 1"S of the centre of an anonymous galaxy. SUPERNOVA 2003ef IN NGC 4708 A further LOTOSS discovery of a possible supernova was announced on IAUC 8131. The magnitude 16.3 object was first recorded on May 11.3UT at: RA 12h 49m 42.25s DEC -11 05' 29.5" (2000), 11.6"E and 5.1"N of the centre of NGC 4708. V4745 SAGITTARII Since the discovery announcement on TA E-Circular 1881, when this nova was initially reported at magnitude 8.9 by Nicolas Brown, the object continued to brighten to about magnitude 8.0 around May 8-12 but then began to fade. Taichi Kato of Japan has also reported that a spectrum by M. Fujii of Fujii Bisei Observatory, on May 8.79UT indicates it to be a nova of Fe II class. Guy M Hurst