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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1984      2004 Mar 28 15.25UT
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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SUPERNOVAE 2004ay IN UGC 11255
On 2004 March 23 we received an e-mail from Tom Boles of Coddenham, 
England who reported that he had detected a possible supernova of 
magnitude 18.l in the galaxy UGC 11255. This had been recorded on a 
single night with the first unfiltered CCD image obtained on Mar 
23.136UT using a 0.35-m reflector during the course of the UK 
Nova/Supernova Patrol.

The position of the object was measured to be:
RA 18h 28m 57.57s DEC +51 38' 55.7" (2000), 0.2"E and 8.5"S of the 
centre of parent galaxy. Tom added that the suspect is not present on 
his images from 2003 Sept 25 and Oct 24 (limiting mag 19.5) and it is 
also not present on DSS II red (1991.600) or blue plates (1990.486).

The next day a further e-mail was received noting that confirmation had 
been obtained on March 24.098UT with end figures: RA 57.56s DEC 55.8".

Congratulations to Tom on the discovery of his 63rd supernova which was 
announced with the designation supernova 2004ay on IAUC 8311.

V5114 SAGITTARII
N. N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Moscow, advises that the nova 
reported on E-Circular 1981 has been designated V5114 Sgr.

Jonathan Shanklin, observing from Stanley, Falkland Islands, reports 
that his visual magnitude estimate for 2004 March 25.13UT was 9.5.

M. Della Valle et. al., Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Arcetri,
Florence report on IAUC 8307 that a spectrum was obtained at La Silla on 
March 18.3UT with the 2.2-m telescope. This shows the object is indeed a 
nova caught near maximum light.

2004 FH
G. W. Christie, Auckland Observatory, reports on IAUC 8310 that 
unfiltered CCD photometry of this object (see TA E-Circular 1980) shows 
that during the interval Mar. 18.487-18.499 UT the magnitude varied by 
0.9 (12.9-13.8) with a period of about 90 seconds.

SUPERNOVA 2004av IN ESO 571-G15
LOSS discovery of a possible supernova (IAUC 8307):
SN      2004 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2004av   Mar. 17.35  11 40 57.84  -22 28 53.6  15.8  12.6"W,15.9"S

SUPERNOVAE 2004ax IN NGC 5939
LOSS discovery of a possible supernova (IAUC 8311):
SN      2004 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2004ax   Mar. 21.48  15 24 46.76  +68 43 56.3  17.7   3".6 E,5".9N

Guy M Hurst