-------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2720      2011 Mar 19 16.10UT
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPERNOVA 2011ap IN IC 1277 = PSN J18102840+3100342
On 2011 Feb 22 Tom Boles of Coddenham, England, e-mailed TA that he had 
found a possible supernova in IC 1277 but there followed a long delay 
before spectroscopic confirmation was available and the object was 
formally designated SN 2011ap.

Tom's discovery, made during searches for the UK Nova/Supernova patrol, 
was of an optical transient (mag 18.5) on unfiltered CCD images taken on 
2011 Feb 16.234 and 18.547 with a 0.35-m reflector. The object is 
located at RA 18h 10m 28.41s DEC +31 00' 34.3"(2000), which is 
approximately 14.5"E and 22.8"N of the centre of IC1277.

Joe Brimacombe obtained an additional image on Feb 22.446 with a 51cm 
RCOS in Mayhill, New Mexico, from which Tom measured end figures of 
28.37s and 34.1". and a brightening to mag 17.6. Digitised Sky Survey 
Plates (limiting red mag 20.5), and (limiting blue mag 21.0) show a 
stellar sized hot spot below mag 20.0. Nothing is visible in Tom's 
archive images (limiting mag 19.5) over the last 10 years.

An independent discovery was made by Koichi Itagaki on Feb 21.856UT 
using a 0.60-m f/5.7 reflector (+ BITRAN camera).

G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on 
behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum obtained on 
Mar. 8 UT by P. Berlind with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m 
telescope shows that 2011ap is a type-IIn supernova then a few days 
after maximum light. (CBET 2670).

Congratulations to Tom on this further discovery.

Guy M Hurst