------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2152 2005 Sep 15 08.44UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- (99942) APOPHIS (= 2004 MN4) J. D. Giorgini et. al., Arecibo Observatory, have reported new radar observations on 2005 August 7 of this object due to make a very close approach to the Earth in 2029. The object has now been designated (99942) Apophis and was formerly referred to in these circulars and the magazine as 2004 MN4. The new Doppler measurements increase the predicted nominal Earth close approach from 5.77 to 5.86 Earth radii in 2029. The 2036 close approach increases from 0.005 to 0.14AU but there remain considerable uncertainties about the 2036 event for which fuller details appear on IAUC 8593. SUPERNOVA 2005dr IN UGC 3229 Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8592): SN 2005 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2005dr Aug. 29.51 05 02 17.18 +07 38 21.4 18.5 12.0"W, 12.0"N SUPERNOVA 2005ds IN UGC 11064 Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8592): SN 2005 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2005ds Aug. 31.21 17 57 39.89 +27 50 18.4 18.7 14.4"W, 13.1"N POSSIBLE NOVA IN SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD J. D. Neill, University of Victoria, and M. C. B. Ashley, University of New South Wales, report on IAUC 8593 the discovery of an apparent nova on unfiltered CCD images taken on Aug. 22.463 (at mag 14.5) and 18.474UT (mag 14.2) with the 0.45-m ROTSE-III telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in the course of a nova patrol of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The location is: RA 01h 15m 00.15s DEC -73 25' 38.1" (2000), which is 97.6' E and 35.9' S of the centre of the SMC. Guy M Hurst