------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1927 2003 Oct 01 18.40UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPERNOVA 2003ij IN UGC 3336 Tom Boles, Coddenham, England, e-mailed us on September 26 to indicate he had recorded a possible supernova in UGC 3336 at mag 18.3 on two images but taken only 80 seconds apart. The unfiltered CCD discovery image was obtained on Sept 25.954UT with a 0.35-m reflector in the course of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. The new object is located at RA 05h 55m 41.18s DEC +85 54'21.7" (2000), which is approximately 3.7"W and 31.4"S of the centre of the host galaxy. Tom noted that the suspect is not present on his images from 2003 Aug 29 and Sep 15 (limiting mag 19.5) and it is also not seen on Palomar Sky Survey red (1996.935) or blue plates (1996.788) Confirmatory images were subsequently obtained on Sept 26.962UT when it was noted that the object appeared to have brightened by about 0.5 magnitude since the initial discovery image. The object was designated supernova 2003ij on IAUC 8210. Congratulations to Tom on the discovery of his 54th supernova. COMET P/2003 S2 (NEAT) Peter Birtwhistle, Great Shefford, England has reported that he secured images of this object, originally found by NEAT on Sept 24 at magnitude 18.0, according to IAUC 8209. Peter established the object was cometary on the following images obtained with a 0.30-m f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD, for which astrometry appears below: 2003 09 24.94155 02 00 34.18 -00 04 50.8 17.9 T J95 2003 09 24.94631 02 00 34.04 -00 04 51.8 17.4 T J95 2003 09 24.95105 02 00 33.92 -00 04 52.5 17.7 T J95 2003 09 25.10696 02 00 29.97 -00 05 23.0 17.9 T J95 2003 09 25.11212 02 00 29.86 -00 05 23.9 17.7 T J95 2003 09 25.11714 02 00 29.73 -00 05 24.9 18.0 T J95 Peter adds that the comet had a coma of 8" with a broad tail at least 20" long in PA250 and a thin tail 20" long in PA330. SUPERNOVA 2003ii IN MCG +06-6-53 Tom Matheson has relayed that M. Calkins obtained a spectrum on Sept 26.37UT of this object reported by Tom Boles (TA E-Circular 1926). The spectrum, obtained with the F. L. Whipple 1.5-m telescope shows it to be a type-II supernova according to IAUC 8210. Guy M Hurst