------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1926 2003 Sep 25 09.20UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 2003ii IN MCG +06-6-53 On September 23, we received an e-mail from Tom Boles of Coddenham, England that he had recorded a possible supernova of magnitude 18.4 in MCG +6-6-53 on multiple images on a single night (Sept 23). The discovery was made on an unfiltered CCD image of Sept 23.030UT using a 0.35-m reflector in the course of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. The new object is located at RA 02h 33m 04.80s DEC +35 30' 29.7" (2000) which is approximately 8.1"E and 2.1"N of the centre of the host galaxy. The suspect is not present on Tom's images of 2003 Aug 14 and Sep 2 (limiting mag 19.5) and it was not recorded on Palomar Sky Survey red (1986.907) or blue plates (1987.752). Tom subsequently reported that he had obtained a confirmatory image on Sept 23.922UT. The object was subsequently designated supernova 2003ii and announced on IAUC 8208. Congratulations to Tom on the discovery of his 53rd supernova. COMET P/2003 S1 (NEAT) Peter Birtwhistle, Great Shefford, England has reported that he imaged an object, originally discovered by the NEAT team on Sept 23.60194 at magnitude 18.8, and found it to be cometary according to comments on IAUC 8208. Peter obtained CCD images with a 0.30-m reflector on Sept 24.0 which showed a coma with diameter about 10 arc seconds offset towards the southwest with a possible 30 arc second tail in an approximate positional angle of 250 degrees. Astrometry by Peter follows: 2003 09 23.95186 00 35 07.45 +11 36 03.1 18.5 T J95 2003 09 23.95672 00 35 07.20 +11 36 01.8 19.1 T J95 2003 09 23.96155 00 35 07.07 +11 36 00.8 18.6 T J95 2003 09 23.97648 00 35 06.52 +11 35 56.8 18.7 T J95 2003 09 23.98304 00 35 06.31 +11 35 55.3 18.5 T J95 2003 09 23.98995 00 35 06.08 +11 35 53.7 18.2 T J95 Guy M Hurst