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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2215      2006 Apr 05 09.53UT
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      Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk
WORLD WIDE WEB                         http://www.theastronomer.org
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SUPERNOVA 2006bk IN MCG +06-33-20: 100th SUPERNOVA FOR TOM BOLES
On 2006 April 4, we received an e-mail from Tom Boles of Coddenham, 
England reporting his detection of an apparent supernova in MCG 
+06-33-20 during the course of searches for the UK Nova/Supernova 
Patrol.

The object, of magnitude 16.9, had been recorded on ten images secured 
on a single night centred on 2006 April 3.985UT using a 0.35-m 
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and unfiltered CCD. The position of the new 
object was measured as:

RA 15h 04m 33.61s DEC +35 57' 51.1" (2000), which is approximately 10.6" 
E and 3.3" S of the centre of the host galaxy.

The suspect is not present on Tom's images of 2005 Sept. 4 or 2006 Jan 
28 (limiting mag 19.5) and it is not recorded on DSS II red (1994.338 
limiting mag 20.5) nor blue plates (1998.209 limiting mag 21.0 or on the 
SDSS image).

A further e-mail received this morning (April 5) advised that Tom had 
acquired a confirmation image of the apparent supernova on April 4.933UT 
with end figures for the second night of RA 33.64s and DEC 51.1". The 
magnitude was similar to that on the discovery images.

Although no IAUC has yet been issued, a preliminary announcement has 
been made on CBET 462 and the object designated 2006bk.

This is the 100th supernova found by Tom Boles in a remarkable effort 
for the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol which he joined on 1996 November 30.

His first discovery was of SN 1997dn in NGC3451 recorded on 1997 October 
29 (see The Astronomer E-Circular 1246), illustrating the time to 
achieve the 100 discovery successes has been remarkably short. No doubt 
Tom had been inspired by earlier discoveries by patrol members and, in 
particular, the first found from the UK by Mark Armstrong in 1996 (SN 
1996bo). However to keep the necessary motivation to achieve 100 
discoveries requires a very dedicated and special effort, especially 
given the bad weather often experienced in the UK and in particular over 
the second half of March when most observers went through a long series 
of cloudy nights.

We offer our sincere congratulations to Tom and trust this amazing 
record will inspire others to join the effort.

Guy M Hurst