------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2231 2006 May 21 11.57UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2002 JF_56 R. Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports in CBET 512 that ground-based photometric and spectroscopic observations are requested for 2002 JF_56, in support of the June 13 passage (at 100000 km) of the minor planet by the NASA New Horizons spacecraft, which will use the encounter for instrument calibration and testing of moving-target tracking. Possible photometric and spectroscopic measurements obtained by the spacecraft will be most useful if supported by ground-based observations. Interested observers may contact Binzel (rpb@mit.edu). Editor: The predicted magnitude for this object on June 13 according to the Central Bureau ephemeris service is V=19.4 although there can be considerable uncertainty with values for asteroids. POSSIBLE NOVA IN MESSIER 31 W. Pietsch, et. al., Max Planck Institut have reported on The Astronomer's Telegram 805 their detection of a possible nova in M31 from unfiltered CCD images: 2006, April 26.273, 15.9 mag; 28.263, 16.1 mag. The images were obtained with the Bradford Robotic Telescope Galaxy at the Tenerife Observatory (0.365-m, f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope). The position obtained for the nova candidate is: RA 00h 43m 13.38s, DEC +41 16' 58.9" (2000) with an accuracy of 0.3". At the position of the nova candidate no star brighter than 17.5 mag was detected on 2006, March 12.865. Recent unfiltered observations on May 7.154 with a 0.35-m f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope show no object brighter than magnitude 17.3 at the position of the nova. V337 CYGNI Jeremy Shears, Cheshire, England notes that the Recurrent Objects Programme star V337 Cyg is active: 2006 May 20.957UT 16.0C. He adds that photometry is very difficult due to the proximity of a 15.1 field star (151 on the AAVSO chart). Gary Poyner, Birmingham, adds on BAAVSS alerts that the last recorded outburst of V337 Cyg was by Jan Manek on 1997 Aug 20.951UT at 15.6V. As Jeremy advises that V337 Cyg had increased to 15.8C before he was clouded out about 1am UT on May 21, Gary thinks we can therefore class this observation as a real outburst! Guy M Hurst