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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2719      2011 Mar 15 19.31UT
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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S4 0954+658 BLAZAR
V. M. Larionov et. al., Astronomical Institute of St. Petersburg 
University, Russia, reports on The Astronomer's Telegram 3220 that they 
performed optical photopolarimetric observations of blazar
S4 0954+658 with 70-cm telescope in Crimea and 40-cm telescope in 
St.Petersburg.

Editor: The object is located at: 09h 58m 47.2s DEC +65 33'55" (2000); a 
chart and sequence can be found at:
http://astro.fisica.unipg.it/PGblazar/0954.htm

They report that after a  faint state with the level around R ~ 17.6 
registered in the first half of 2011 January, the optical brightness of 
the source started to increase in the end of January, reaching ~15.7 
during the period 2011 March 1-14 and showing flare-like behaviour.

The most spectacular case of intra-night variability was demonstrated 
during the night of 2011 March 9, when they observed brightening by ~ 
0.7 mag within ~ 7 hours. It is also worth noting that the position 
angle of optical polarization of S4 0954+658 was a subject of smooth 
rotation by about 200 degrees during the last month.  Our preliminary 
light curve can be found at a link below. We analysed open-access 
Fermi-LAT data and did not see any sign of increased gamma-ray activity 
above detection threshold but for the date of 2011 March 5 UT, 
JD2455626, remarkably coincident with the local optical maximum.

Multiwavelength observations of the source are strongly encouraged.

S4 0954+658 light curve: 
http://www.astro.spbu.ru/staff/vlar/plots_optical/s40954r.png

SUPERNOVA 2011aa IN UGC 3906 = PSN J07364263+7426348
T. Puckett, and J. Newton report the discovery of a supernova (mag 16.1) 
on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.0) taken with a 0.40-m 
reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Feb. 6.335 UT. The new object, which 
was confirmed at mag 16.0 on Feb. 7.076 by Puckett with the same 
instrumentation at Portal, is located at:
RA 07h 36m 42.63s DEC +74 26' 34.8"(2000), which is 20.4"E and 10.2"S of 
the centre of UGC 3906.  Nothing is visible at this position on images 
taken by Puckett on Jan. 26 (limiting mag 19.6).

David Balam et. al., Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, National 
Research Council of Canada; and Dan Green report that CCD exposures 
yield the following R-band magnitudes from differential photometry using 
a nearby star of similar brightness: Feb. 8.23 UT, 15.6; 9.24, 15.5.

Uday K. Gurugubelli et. al., Indian Institute of Astrophysics, 
Bangalore, report that a spectrogram of Feb 8.87 UT with the Indian 
Astronomical Observatory's 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope shows it to 
be a type-Ia supernova, then a few days before maximum light.

Jean Marie Llapasset reports via VSNET that the object remains quite 
bright:
2011 Mar 5.835UT, 14.8V; 6.823UT, 14.8V

Guy M Hurst