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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1501      2000 Mar 11 19.52UT
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             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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LA PALMA OBSERVING RUN
We have been asked by professional astronomers undertaking an
observing run in La Palma to report on the following eruptive
variables:

Z Cam;  V426 Oph;  U Gem

Reports have already been sent summarising results from the Feb
VS column in TA (in press). Please now e-mail all estimates of
these stars made during March 1-12 to reach the editor by
2000 March 12.

Thereafter please send DAILY e-mail reports of any estimates
obtained for the period Mar 13-17.

SUPERNOVA 2000N IN MCG -02-34-054
Y. Sato and W. D. Li, University of California at Berkeley, on
behalf of the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (cf. IAUC 6627,
7126), report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag about
17.3) on an unfiltered image taken on Mar. 4.4 UT with the 0.8-m
Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT).  SN 2000N is located at
R.A. = 13h27m56s.19, Decl. = -13o24'48".3 (equinox 2000.0), which
is 9".2 east and 34".1 north of the nucleus of MCG -02-34-054.  SN
2000N was confirmed at about the same magnitude on an unfiltered
image taken by T. Puckett with the Puckett Observatory 0.60-m
automated supernova patrol telescope on Mar. 5.2.  An unfiltered
KAIT image taken on 1999 Dec. 25.5 showed nothing at the position
of the new object (limiting mag about 19.0).
IAUC 7374

SUPERNOVA 2000O IN MCG +3-31-61
T. Puckett, Mountain Town, GA, reports the discovery of an
apparent supernova (mag 17.1) on an unfiltered CCD frame (limiting
mag 19.2) taken with the Puckett Observatory 0.35-m automated
supernova patrol telescope on Mar. 5.26 UT.  The candidate is
located at R.A. = 12h11m15s.58, Decl. = +17o53'32".2 (equinox
2000.0), which is 7".7 east and 14".6 north of the centre of MCG
+3-31-61.  The new object was also present on an unfiltered CCD
frame taken on Mar. 6.10, but it was not definitely present
(though there was possibly a hint) on a frame taken on Feb. 4.32,
neither does it appear on Palomar Sky Survey images taken on 1990
Mar. 23 (limiting mag about 21.0) and 1950 Apr. 20 (limiting mag
about 20.0).
IAUC 7375

Guy M Hurst