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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2865      2012 Oct 24 16.06UT
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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SUPERNOVA 2012fj IN NGC 6103 = PSN J16154486+3157477
Ron Arbour, South Wonston, England notified us over one month ago of the 
discovery of a suspected supernova in NGC 6103. Several TA people imaged 
the object even though very near the nucleus but no spectrum was 
obtained until now.

The apparent supernova of magnitude 16.5 was found on an unfiltered CCD 
image taken on 2012 Sept. 19.879 UT using a 35-cm f/6 Schmidt-Cassegrain 
telescope + SXVF H9  in the course of searches for the UK Nova/Supernova 
Patrol. The new object is located at:
RA  16h 15m 44.86s DEC +31 57' 47.7" (2000), which is 3" E and 2" S of 
the centre of NGC 6103.

Nothing was visible at this position on digitized Palomar Sky Survey 
plates from 1989 May 3 (red) and 1994 Apr. 19 (blue). Additional CCD 
magnitudes for 2012fj:  Sept. 20.850, 16.1 (D. Grennan, Ireland; 0.35-m 
reflector; position end figures 44s.80, 48".4 with uncertainty 0".5 in 
each coordinate; precise astrometry and photometry difficult due to the 
proximity of the new object to the core of NGC 6103; image posted at URL 
http://www.webtreatz.com/images/J16154486+3157477.jpg);
Sept. 21.138, 16.9 (J. Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; luminance filter; 
position end figures 44s.91, 48".0; image posted at the following 
website URL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/8016942732/).

L. Tomasella, et. al., Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Istituto 
Nazionale di Astrofisica, report that a spectrogram obtained on Oct. 
22.73 UT with the Asiago 1.82-m Copernico Telescope, suggests that this 
is a type-II supernova.  Together with Balmer lines showing P-Cyg 
profiles, Fe II lines and the Na I doblet feature are detected. Adopting 
for NGC 6103 the redshift z = 0.031422 the best fit with the GELATO tool 
is obtained with the type-IIP supernova 1995ad at 3-4 weeks after 
explosion.

Editor: Congratulations to Ron on his latest discovery, being his 27th 
supernova.

Guy M Hurst