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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1922      2003 Sep 22 14.14UT
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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NOVA SAGITTARII 2003 No 2
Nicholas Brown, Australia, has reported his detection of a possible
nova of magnitude 9.2 on an exposure of 2003 Sept 17.52UT with a
135mm telephoto lens and T-Max 400 film according to IAUC 8204. The
position is: RA 18h 10m 13s DEC -27 45' 39" (2000).

Bill Liller, Chile, e-mailed that the object was recorded at
magnitude 8.91V on a CCD frame of Sept 19.0135UT. On Sept 19.0156UT
the B magnitude was measured as 9.79. He adds that a grating
spectrum with dispersion 7.8 A/pixel shows a prominent H-alpha
emission with a peak approximately 2.3 times brighter than the
surrounding continuum. Nothing is visible to mag 11.5 on a red film
taken by Liller on Sept. 13.12UT.

K. Haseda, Aichi, Japan, finds that the photographic magnitude was
9.7 on Sept 17.447UT and 9.1 on Sept 18.433UT using a 120mm f3.5
AstroCamera with T-Max 400 film.

Minoru Yamamoto, also of Aichi, Japan, found it was not recorded to
a limit of magnitude 10.1 on an unfiltered CCD image obtained with
a 85mm f2.4 lens on Sept 15.443UT.

IAUC 8204 carries a note that J. D. West, Mulvane, KS, reports the
following precise position from four CCD V images (which yielded V
= 8.98 +/- 0.03, R_c = 8.49 +/- 0.05, and [H_alpha] = 1.80 +/- 0.03
for the nova on Sept. 19.085):  RA 18h 10m 10.42a DEC -27 45'35.2"
(2000). The same circular also has a report from G. Ruch et.al.,
University of Minnesota that optical spectra (range 370-640 nm,
resolution 0.6 nm) were obtained with the Steward Observatory Bok
2.3-m telescope on Kitt Peak on Sept. 19.10 UT, showing that the
spectrum exhibits emission lines of H_beta (equivalent width 0.6
nm), H_gamma, H_delta and numerous Fe II lines with P-Cyg profiles
superposed on a flat continuum. The spectra confirm that this
object is an Fe-II-class nova in its early decline stage.

VARIABLE OBJECT NEAR HX PEGASI
Howard Bond of the Space Telescope Science Institute, reports that
the field of this suspected transient (cf TA E-Circular 1921), was
imaged with the SMARTS 1.3m telescope at Cerro Tololo by Juan
Espinoza on Sept 21.093, 21.194 and 21.279 but no new object was
found to a limit of V=21. However they have found, as previously
reported by Arne Henden of USA that the comparison star 155 is
variable. Arne has added that it has colours similar to that of
variables of the RR Lyrae type.

SUPERNOVA 2003gx IN MCG +06-3-7
The discovery of this object by Tom Boles was announced on TA E-
Circular 1903.
Tom Mathson has now reported that a spectrum by M. Calkins on Sept
18.42UT with the Mount Hopkins 1.5-m telescope shows it to be a
type-II supernova.

SUPERNOVA 2003hy IN IC 5145
The joint discovery of this object by Tom Boles and Mark Armstrong
was detailed on TA E-Circular 1918. A spectrum, also by Calkins, on
Sept 18.28UT suggests it is similar to that of type-IIn 1997bs and
2001ac. Matheson adds on IAUC 8203 that it may be a super-outburst
of a luminous blue variable rather than a true supernova but the
reported magnitude at discovery is brighter then that of a typical
LBV outburst.

Guy M Hurst