------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1929 2003 Oct 09 13.24UT 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 2003ik IN UGC 4185 On September 29, Tom Boles, Coddenham, England, e-mailed us to report that he had recorded a possible supernova of magnitude 16.6 on an unfiltered CCD image taken on 2003 Sep 29.081UT with a 0.35-m reflector in the course of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. The new object is located at RA 08h 04m 06.52s DEC +62 59'19.8" (2000), which is approximately 9.4"W and 18.1"N of the centre of UGC 4185. The suspect is not present on Tom's images of 2003 Aug 29 and Sep 03 (limiting mag 19.5) and it is not present on Palomar Sky Survey red (1968.900) or blue plates (1997.096). Tom obtained a confirmatory image on Sep 29.911UT at a similar magnitude. Subsequently the object was announced on IAUC 8212 with the designation supernova 2003ik but this states the host galaxy is MCG +11-10-56 so the latter issue remains unclear. Congratulations to Tom on the discovery of his 55th supernova. EDITORIAL NOTICE We regret the temporary suspension of TA E-Circulars during the last few days. This is once again due to a BT fault on the telephone line to TAHQ which is experiencing considerable interference. This has meant that it is particularly difficult to send or receive Internet messages without the line dropping and regrettably this has still not been resolved. In the meantime BT are automatically re-routing incoming voice calls to the editor's mobile. Guy M Hurst