------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2448 2008 May 21 15.26UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET C/2008 J1 (BOATTINI) A. Boattini reports his discovery of a comet with a coma diameter of about 50" and a fan-shaped tail 2' long in p.a. 235 deg on Catalina Sky Survey CCD images obtained with the 0.68-m Schmidt telescope: 2008 UT R.A. (2000) Decl. Mag. May 2.46097 21 01 39.57 +10 19 29.9 14.2 Brian Marsden reports the following elements and ephemeris on M.P.E.C. 2008-J29: T 2008 June 29.358 TT MPC q 1.80844 (2000.0) P Q Peri. 59.658 +0.450011 +0.215746 Node 272.357 -0.744606 +0.626357 e 1.0 Incl. 60.147 +0.493003 +0.749086 >From 58 observations 2008 May 2-4. Ephemeris: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 2008 05 14 21 15.03 +19 06.3 1.682 1.902 86.1 32.0 13.9 2008 05 24 21 25.64 +27 26.4 1.594 1.867 88.6 32.8 13.7 2008 06 03 21 35.13 +36 11.1 1.535 1.840 90.0 33.5 13.6 2008 06 13 21 43.17 +44 57.6 1.507 1.821 90.2 33.9 13.5 2008 06 23 21 49.27 +53 21.9 1.506 1.810 89.6 34.2 13.5 V5579 SAGITTARII = NOVA SAGITTARII 2008 N. N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Moscow, advises that the nova announced on TA E-Circular 2443 is being assigned the variable-star designation V5579 Sgr. Additional photometry from M. M. M. Santangelo, Capannori, Italy: Apr. 27.124 UT, V = 7.56 +/- 0.04, B-V = +1.33 +/- 0.05. SUPERNOVA 2008bz IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY Discovery by ROTSE collaboration of a possible supernova (CBET 1353): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008bz Apr. 22.14 12 38 57.74 +11 07 46.2 17.7 5.7"W, 3.8"S A spectrum obtained on Apr. 23.13 with the 9.2-m Hobby- Eberly Telescope by S. Rostopchin and F. Deglman, shows it to be a type-Ia supernova. SUPERNOVAE 2008ca AND 2008cb The above have been assigned to two possible supernovae of magnitude 20-21 found during a new pilot run for the proposed "Coma and Virgo Exploration for Transients" project, using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. SUPERNOVA 2008cc IN ESO 107-G4 Discovery by CHASE Project of a possible supernova (CBET 1356): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008cc Apr. 24.28 21 03 29.62 -67 11 01.1 16.0 0.2"W, 8.7"S SUPERNOVA 2008cd IN NGC 5038 Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (CBET 1356): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008cd Apr. 29.37 13 15 01.75 -15 57 06.8 16.6 6.9"W, 0.3"S SUPERNOVA 2008ce IN NGC 4428 Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (CBET 1356): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008ce May 2.36 12 27 27.70 -08 10 05.3 17.4 9.3"W, 0.6"S Guy M Hurst