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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1967      2004 Feb 13 19.03UT
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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MCNEILL'S OBJECT NEAR MESSIER 78
J. W. McNeill of USA has reported to the Central Bureau that a 'new 
nebula' has been noted near Messier 78 in Orion and in the Lynds 1630 
cloud. His unfiltered CCD images of 2004 Jan 23 secured with a 0.07-m 
refractor may suggest the object is linked to:
IRAS 05436-0007.

The object's position is:
RA 05h 46m 14s DEC -00 05'.8 (2000).

The total magnitude was about magnitude 15-16 (CCD camera's sensitivity 
peaking at 575 nm). It is reported to be absent from various Sky Survey 
images obtained between 1951-1991.

Confirmation of this object on January 31 has been obtained by B. 
Reipurth, University of Hawaii who suggests the optical counterpart of 
IRAS 05436-0007 has gone into outburst and has produced a large 
reflection nebulosity.

Arto Oksanen, Finland, has submitted an image of this nebula to the 
editor which was obtained on 2004 Feb 10 from the Nyrola Observatory 
using the 0.40-m LX200+SBIG ST8XE CCD, based on a composite of V and Rc 
bands. This image appears on the front cover of 'The Astronomer' 
February issue (currently in press).

In recent days it is evident that a star-like object has also appeared 
in the nebula, notably in an image by Y Sano-san of Japan of Feb 12.42UT 
which shows stellar object of about magnitude of 14.7C. See images at:
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~sanosn/variable/iras05436-0007/iras05436-0007.html

Michael Richmond has commented that this object is an FU Ori-type 
object. This is only the fourth object in the last century (sufficiently 
seen in the visual light) which was recorded on the rise (among the 
well-established ones).  The others are FU Ori (1937), V1057 Cyg (1970) 
and V1515 Cyg (1950s).

Inspection by others of archival images obtained at different 
wavelengths suggests the nebula is not new but considerably more 
illuminated than hitherto by the star's outburst.

Observations and images are urgently required.

SUPERNOVA 2004D IN UGC 6916
LOSS supernova discovery (IAUC 8271):
SN      2004 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2004D   Jan.  4.5    11 56 27.82  +39 44 16.7  19.1   4.7"W, 14.1"S

SUPERNOVA 2004E IN PGC 46239
LOSS supernova discovery (IAUC 8271):
SN      2004 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2004E   Jan. 15.5    13 16 51.40  +31 35 11.8  16.1   3.2"E, 20.4"N

SUPERNOVA 2004F IN NGC 1285
LOSS supernova discovery (IAUC 8271):
SN      2004 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2004F   Jan. 16.2     3 17 53.80  - 7 17 43.0  17.8   6.0"E, 9.2"N

Guy M Hurst