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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2676      2010 Oct 02 10.28UT
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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NEW LUMINOUS OUTBURSTS OF SUPERNOVA IMPOSTER SN 2009ip
A.J. Drake et. al. (Caltech) and others report on The Astronomer's 
Telegram 2897 two recent outbursts of the LBV (Supernova Impostor) known 
as SN 2009ip. This object was first discovered as a candidate supernova 
by Maza et al. (see TA E-Circular 2591: editor) and was subsequently 
identified by Miller et al. as either a CV or LBV based on historical 
deep sky images taken in 2005 July. Berger et al. (2009, ATEL#2184) 
spectroscopically confirmed the object to be an LBV. Further information 
about this object, including an additional outburst during July 2007, 
was reported by Li et al. (2009, ATEL#2212), Smith et al. (2010, AJ, 
139, 1451) and Foley et
al. (2010, arxiv:1002.0635).

During survey monitoring of Siding Spring Survey data for NGC 7259, they 
discovered SN 2009ip to be in outburst on 2010 July 15 (MV~-14), faded 
in observations from 2010 Sept 11 and again in outburst on 2010 Sept 29. 
Historical SSS photometry shows past outbursts on 2009 August 1, and 
2009 Sept 23 with periods of fading in agreement with Smith et al. 
(2010).

The multiple luminous outbursts that the massive LBV SN 2009ip has 
experienced in the last year might indicate periods of unstable 
mass-loss similar to the LBV SN 2000ch (Pastorello et al. 2010, MNRAS, 
http://arxiv.org/abs/1006.0504) and those seen preceding core-collapse 
of SN 2006jc (Itagaki et al. 2006, IAUC#8762; Foley et al. 2007, ApJ, 
657, 105). They request additional ongoing open monitoring of this 
object so that the astronomical community may rapidly respond to changes 
that could indicate the imminent explosion of SN 2009ip.

Guy M Hurst