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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1891      2003 Jun 19 18.48UT
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 2003gd IN M74
Rev Bob Evans has e-mailed TA to advise that he has found a
possible supernova in Messier 74 in Pisces (= NGC 628). The object,
of magnitude 13.2, was first detected visually on 2003 June 12.82UT
and offsets were estimated to be 20"E and 150"S of the nucleus.

Robert McNaught confirmed the presence of this object on images of
June 13.84UT using the 1.0-m Siding Spring Observatory telescope.
>From these he has measured a precise position of:
RA 01h 36m 42.65s DEC +15 44' 20.9" (2000) and revises the offsets
to: 13.2"E and 161"S of the centre of the host galaxy. He adds the
object is not present on digitised sky survey images.

Additionally Bob Evans has e-mailed that Tom Dobosz also confirmed
the object on June 14 using an LX200 and three ten minute exposures
co-added. This image has been submitted to us for possible
publication in the July issue.

According to IAUC 8150, P. Garnavich, University of Notre Dame; and
E. Bass, Cornell University, obtained near-infrared spectra (range
850-2400 nm) in twilight on June 13.46 UT with the 1.8-m Vatican
Advanced Technology Telescope. They indicate it is a type-II
supernova.

A further report, detailed on IAUC 8152, by R. Kotak and Peter
Meikle, Imperial College, London, and S. J. Smartt, Institute of
Astronomy, Cambridge report that a spectrum was obtained at the
William Herschel Telescope by Chris Benn on June 14.2 UT. The
analysis also confirms it to be of type II approximately two months
after maximum.

S. Smartt also reports that a progenitor for this supernova may
have been detected at V=26.1 but it is planned to obtain HST
override time to refine this further to establish if the
identification is correct.   

This is the second supernova detected in this galaxy in consecutive
years. The first was Supernova 2002ap found by Yoji Hirose on 2002
January 29 (see The Astronomer E-Circular 1738).

Guy M Hurst