------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2770 2011 Oct 03 19.50UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PSN J10081059+5150570 IN UGC 5460 Tom Boles, Coddenham, England, reports the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 17.0) on an unfiltered CCD image taken on 2011 Sept. 29.182 UT using a 0.35-m Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope during searches for the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. The new object located at: RA 10h 08m 10.58s DEC +51 50' 57.1" (20000), which is approximately 12.4"E and 17.2"N of the nucleus of UGC 5460. Additional magnitudes for the variable (designated PSN J10081059+5150570) provided by Tom: 1989 Dec. 6, [20.5 (Digitised Sky Survey, red); 1992 Feb. 24, [21.0 (Digitised Sky Survey, blue); 2011 Apr. 6, [19.5; 30, [19.5; Sept. 30.086, 16.9. Andrea Pastorello, Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita di Padova and Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova; V. Stanishev, Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofisica, Istituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon; and S. J. Smartt and M. Fraser, Queen's University, Belfast report that a spectrogram (range 320-910 nm, resolution 1.4 nm) obtained by M. Lindborg on Sept. 30.22 UT with the Nordic Optical Telescope (+ ALFOSC), suggests that it is a "supernova impostor" sharing some similarity with the eruption of the luminous blue variable "UGC 2773-OT". The spectrum shows very narrow lines of H, Ca II (H and K and the near-infrared triplet, with P-Cyg profile), and a forest of narrow Fe II absorption features. Also, prominent Na I D, Sc II, and Ba II features are clearly detected in absorption. Note that, adopting for UGC 5460 a distance of 19.2 Mpc and a negligible reddening, the absolute magnitude of the transient would be about -14.4. (CBET 2851) THE ASTRONOMER ANNUAL MEETIN, 2011 OCTOBER 8 Programmes have been e-mailed to all those from whom bookings were received as at today, Oct 3. For others paper copies were posted and will probably arrive by Wednesday. If you have sent a booking but not received a programme please contact the editor as soon as possible. Guy M Hurst