------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2503 2008 Nov 29 15.58UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- POSSIBLE BRIGHT NOVA IN CARINA Katarzyna Malek, Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, reports the discovery of a possible bright nova by the Pi of the Sky automated survey on 2008 Nov 26.26UT at magnitude 7.91C. It is located at: RA 11h 13m 54s Dec -61 14' 00" (2000). By Nov 27.27UT the object had brightened to magnitude 7.55C. The AAVSO report that VSX shows nothing at this magnitude nearby. There are many variables in the general area (Carina) but nothing really close by. It has been submitted to VSX and assigned the VSX ID: VSX J111354.0-611400 A comparison star sequence for this object is available via VSP: http://www.aavso.org/observing/charts/vsp Asking for a 'b' scale chart on the coordinates yields a sequence containing 4.6, 5.1, and 7.3-10.4 stars. Alexandre Amorim, reports a visual magnitude of 8.3 on Nov 29.12UT. SUPERNOVAE 2008hb-2008hf Discovery by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network and other groups of possible supernovae (CBET 1570): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008hb Sep. 21 22 25 14.03 -01 43 11.8 21.8 -- 2008hc Sep. 21 23 38 27.52 +23 33 44.3 21.6 0.6"E, 1.6"N 2008hd Sep 24 23 54 07.84 -10 15 43.4 20.2 0.9"W, 0.1"S 2008he Oct 31 00 19 31.22 +28 51 45.0 22.4 0.9"E, 1.5"N 2008hf Nov. 3 09 19 43.36 -12 14 02.1 21.9 1.4"E, 1.0"S SUPERNOVA 2008hg IN IC 1720 Discovery by the CHASE Project of a possible supernova (CBET 1571): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008hg Nov 15.10 01 40 22.39 -28 55 05.1 17.4 12.0"E,15.9"S A. Harutyunyan, Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) et. al., report that a noisy spectrum obtained on Nov. 19.03 UT with the 3.5-m TNG shows it to be a type-II supernova about one week after explosion. NSV 5285 G. Duszanowicz, Sweden, reports his discovery on CBET 1574 of a variable star of red magnitude 14.9 in Ursa Major (and located 159" west and 106" north of the centre of the galaxy UGC 6628) on unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag 18.2) taken on Nov. 16.125, 18.018, and 19.018 UT with a 32-cm reflector. The variable object is located at: RA 11h 39m 50.55s DEC +45 58' 18.8" (2000). An image has been posted by Duszanowicz at website URL: http://moonbase.be/html/gallery/sncand/PGC36188-S001-STACK.jpg; this shows the variable to be identical with the apparent quasar discovered at mag 14.5 by J. Huchra at Palomar on 1975 Mar. 15 and which faded quickly to mag 20 by 1975 Apr. 1. This object was then designated NSV 5285 in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars, apparently because spectroscopic observations of the outburst were lacking in 1975. Guy M Hurst