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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1873      2003 Apr 09 19.04UT
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.theastronomer.org
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SUPERNOVA 2003cq IN NGC 3978
On 2003 March 30, an e-mail was received from Ron Arbour, South
Wonston, England, reporting that he had recorded a possible
supernova in the galaxy NGC 3978 on an unfiltered CCD image taken
on 2003 Mar.30.84439UT with the 0.3-m f/6.3 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope during the course of searches for the UK Nova/Supernova
Patrol.
The following precise position was obtained:
RA  11h 56m 14.17s DEC +60 31' 19.1" (2000)
Offsets were measured as: 32.0" E and 2.3" S.
The discovery magnitude was 17.0 and the limit of the image 17.5.
The object was again recorded on further longer exposures. Ron
reports it is not present on his image of 2003 March 14 and is not
recorded on the red POSS plate (1993) or the blue POSS plate (1994)
Digitised Sky Survey.

Tom Boles reports that he obtained a confirmatory image on 2003
March 31.830UT when the object was again at magnitude 17.0.

The designation, 2003cq, was announced on IAUC 8103.

Congratulations to Ron on his 9th supernova discovery.

Guy M Hurst