------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2642 2010 May.01 16.39UT 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 CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE: SDSS J182142.83+212153.5 Hitoshi Yamaoka, Japan reports that Itagaki-san noticed a possible new variable (mag 14.9) during his survey. A confirmation image taken on Apr. 24.706 UT with his 0.60-m reflector yields the position of a new object as: RA 18h 21m 42s.83 DEC +21 21' 53.8"(2000). It seems to be an outburst of a star SDSS J182142.83+212153.5 (u=20.195, g=20.260, r=20.198, i=19.895, z=19.438), which is also catalogued in the USNO-B1.0 and the GSC 2.3. The amplitude suggests that it may be a new dwarf nova outburst. Time-resolved photometry and/or spectroscopic classification is urged. In a further message on VSNET [vsnet-alert 11956] the Osaka Kyoiku U. team (Ryo Noguchi, Shinichi Nakagawa, Katsura Matsumoto) report that they succeeded in observing this object. Two superhumps with amplitude of ~0.3 mag were recorded, confirming the SU UMa-type nature of this object. The period is around 0.08 d. Further observations are encouraged! NOVA SCORPII NO 2 Further to the announcement on TA E-Circular 2641, K. Kinugasa, H. Takahashi, and O.Hashimoto, Gunma Astronomical Observatory report on this object which they confirm is a He/N nova. They add that a low-dispersion spectrum (range 420-850 nm, resolution about 500) of this object on Apr. 29.745 with the GAO 1.5-m telescope (+GLOWS), shows broad (FWHM about 4000 km/s) Balmer and O I (777.4, 822.7 and 844.6 nm) emission lines. Both H-alpha and H-beta have asymmetric line profiles with a blue peak. Several emission lines of He I and N II are also seen. It indicates that this object is a He/N nova at a decline phase. This spectrum is at website URL: http://www.astron.pref.gunma.jp/~kinugasa/nsco2010-2_100429.png . (VSNET-Alert 11961) SUPERNOVA 2010ay IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY Discovery by Catalina Sky Survey of a possible supernova (CBET 2224): SN 2010 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2010ay Mar 17.38 12 35 27.19 +27 04 02.8 17.5 - - A. V. Filippenko et. al., University of California, Berkeley, report that inspection of CCD spectra of Mar. 22UT with the 3-m Shane reflector shows it is a type-Ic supernova similar to SN 1998bw. Given that such supernovae are sometimes associated with long-duration gamma-ray bursts a search for a possibly corresponding GRB should be conducted. SUPERNOVA 2010az IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY Discovery by Catalina Sky Survey of a possible supernova (CBET 2225): SN 2010 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2010az Feb 16.48 12 56 59.62 -17 37 35.5 17.7 3.9"W 12.6"N SUPERNOVA 2010ba IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY Discovery by Catalina Sky Survey of a possible supernova (CBET 2225): SN 2010 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2010ba Mar 21.33 11 58 20.68 +15 20 10.8 15.2 1.1"W, 1.3"S Guy Hurst