------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2617 2010 Jan 17 12.30UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- NOVA OPHIUCHI 2010 CBET 2128 carries news of the discovery of a possible nova in Ophiuchus by Hideo Nishimura of Japan on images of 2010 Jan 15.857UT. The object, of magnitude 8.4, was recorded on multiple frames obtained with a Canon 5D digital camera + Minolta 120-mm f/3.5 lens and had a limiting magnitude of 11.0. The position is: RA 17h 39m 41s DEC -21 39' 47" (2000). The object was not recorded on frames of 2009 Jan 29-Nov 3 (limit mag 11.0) or on 2010 Jan 13.86UT (limit 9.5). Nishimura reports a faint image of the possible nova at magnitude 10.1 may be present on Jan 14.865UT with positional end figures 41.3s, 54" Other CCD observers report positional end figures and magnitude: Jan. 16.856, 40.94s, 47.9", mag 8.4 (K. Itagaki, Japan) Jan. 16.860, 40.97s, 47.4", mag 8.2 (K. Kadota, Japan) Kadota adds that nothing is visible at this position on a red Digitized Sky Survey image from 1997 (limiting mag estimated to be 20 by Nakano). Itagaki has posted his image at: http://www.k-itagaki.jp/images/pn-sgr.jpg Hiroyuki Maehara, Kyoto, Japan reports measures via VSNET: 2010 Jan 16.87733 9.54B; 16.87616 8.77V 0.25-m L + ST-7XME + Bessell B,V M. Yamamoto, Japan, using a Fujifilm Finepix S2 Pro and 85mm lens recorded it at 8.7 (unfiltered) on Jan 16.863UT. OT_J225749.6-082228 K. Kinugasa et. al., Gunma Astronomical Observatory (GAO); and H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, report that a low-resolution spectrogram (420-800 nm, resolution about 500) of the new variable discovered by Itagaki ( TA E-Circular 2614) was obtained on 2010 Jan.13.4 UT with the GAO 1.5-m reflector (+GLOWS). The spectrum shows a smooth blue continuum with prominent H-beta and H-gamma absorption lines. While, the H-alpha is a shallow absorption, which seem to be filled by the emission core. These characteristics suggest that it is a dwarf nova in outburst. SUPERNOVAE 2009ml-2009ms These designations have been assigned to supernova discoveries using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope of magnitude g19 or fainter from 2009 Oct-Nov according to CBET 2089. SUPERNOVA 2009mt IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY Discovery by CRTS of a possible supernova (CBET 2090): SN 2009 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2009mt Nov 25.35 04 02 57.68 +17 56 26.7 17.1 1.1"E, 1.3"N A spectrogram with the SMARTS 1.5-m telescope on 2009 Dec. 19.16 shows it similar to the type-Ia supernova 1996X around four weeks past maximum light. Guy M Hurst