------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2504 2008 Dec 04 21.16UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PROBABLE NOVA IN SAGITTARIUS Bill Liller, Chile, reports on CBET 1591 his discovery of an apparent nova (mag approximately 8.0) on two photographs taken with Tech Pan film and an orange filter on 2008 Nov. 29.040 UT; the variable was also present on Nov. 23.037 at approximate magnitude 10.3 but was not visible (mag > 11.0) on Nov. 20.035. The new object is located at RA 18h 22.0m DEC -28 03' (2000). Liller adds that a pair of objective-grating spectrograms (yielding 44.0 nm/mm at H-alpha) taken on Nov. 30.013 clearly shows that the variable has a very strong H-alpha emission with a FWHM of approximately 2500 km/s, quite typical of a classical nova several days after peak brightness. Because of the low altitude (about 17 degrees) of the variable suspect at the time of observation, the extinction in the blue-green portion of the spectra amounted to an estimated two magnitudes; for this reason, as well as to eliminate overlapping orders, an orange filter was used (with Tech Pan film). SUPERNOVA 2008hh IN IC 112 Discovery by the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search of a possible supernova (CBET 1575): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008hh Nov 19.12 01 26 03.65 +11 26 26.5 16.6 9.8"E, 8.4"S The new object was confirmed at mag 16.6 on images (limiting mag 19.8) taken by T. Orff on Nov. 20.15 with a 0.60-m reflector at Ellijay. P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum obtained on Nov. 23 UT by N. Wright with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-Ic supernova at about maximum light. SUPERNOVA 2008hi IN MCG -01-2-15 Discovery by Yoshimi Ichimura, Japan of a possible supernova (CBET 1578): SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008hi Nov 21.54 00 26 43.00 -03 35 53.4 15.2 8 "W, 3 "S Ichimura notes that nothing is visible at this position on his frame taken on 2005 Dec. 19 (limiting mag 18); Nakano adds that nothing is visible at this position on Palomar Sky Survey red and infrared images. F. Salgado et. al., on behalf of the Carnegie Supernova Project, report that on Nov. 23.1 UT they obtained a spectrum with the 2.5-m du Pont telescope (+ WFCCD) at Las Campanas Observatory showing that it is of a subluminous type-Ia supernova past maximum light. Guy M Hurst