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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2523      2009 Feb 04 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
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R CORONAE BOREALIS
Matthew Templeton, AAVSO, advises that this variable is apparently at or 
near its historic minimum; a number of observers have found this star to 
be fainter than visual mag 14.0 since early Nov. 2008, and both visual 
and instrumental measures are now indicating V >/= 14.5.  R CrB began 
its current fading episode around 2007 July 6 and faded from mv about 
6.0 to > 12.0 by 2007 Aug. 12 (cf. CBET 1052); the star has continued to 
fade for the past 17 months.  The duration of the current episode and 
its depth are similar to that observed during the previous extreme 
fading episode that began around June 1963 and continued until around 
Dec. 1965, when R CrB faded to visual mag about 14.5.

COMETS 210P/CHRISTENSEN AND 211P/HILL
Comet P/2008 X4 = P/2003 K2 has been assigned the permanent designation 
210P on IAUC 9010. Comet P/2008 X1 = P/2003 F6 (Hill; has been assigned 
the permanent designation 211P on the same circular.

SUPERNOVA 2009J IN IC 2160
Discovery by the CHASE Project of a possible supernova (CBET 1661):
SN      2009 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2009J   Jan 13.08   05 55 21.13  -76 55 20.8  17.7    25.4"W, 8.0"S
Nothing is visible at this position on archival images taken on 2008 
Dec. 29.13 and 2009 Jan. 5.13 (limiting mag 18.5).

SUPERNOVA 2009K IN NGC 1620
Discovery by the CHASE Project of a possible supernova (CBET 1663):
SN      2009 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2009K   Jan 14.07   04 36 36.77  -00 08 35.6  14.9     8.7"W, 1.5"N
Nothing is visible at this position on archival images taken on 2008 
Dec. 18.14 and 2009 Jan. 11.08 (limiting mag 18.0).

SUPERNOVA 2009L IN NGC 4854
Discovery by the ROTSE collaboration of a possible supernova (CBET 
1666):
SN      2009 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2009L   Jan 13.44   12 58 48.10  +27 40 25.6  16.8     8.4"E, 3.9"S
A finding chart FOR 2009L has been posted at: 
http://www.rotse.net/rsvp/j125848.1+274026/j125848.1+274026.jpg
A spectrum of Jan. 15.34 with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope
by J. Caldwell and A. Westfall, shows it to be a type-Ia supernova 3 
days after maximum and indicating a subluminous event.

SUPERNOVA 2009N IN NGC 4487
Discovery by Koichi Itagaki, Japan of a possible supernova (CBET 1670):
SN      2009 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2009N   Jan 24.86   12 31 09.46  -08 02 56.3  16.6    75  "E,18  "N
Itagaki adds that a nearby foreground star of mag 18 has position end 
figures 09s.46, 46".9.

Guy M Hurst