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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1964      2004 Jan 31 16.57UT
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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(65100) BIRTWHISTLE
We are delighted to relay that asteroid 65100, formerly 2002 CR15, has 
been named in honour of Peter Birtwhistle who will be known to many of 
you as a prolific observer of comets and asteroids and a regular 
contributor to 'The Astronomer'.

The following citation has appeared in Minor Planet Circular 50465 
issued on 2004 January 7:

(65100) Birtwhistle = 2002 CR15

Discovered 2002 Feb. 8 by C. W. Juels and P. R. Holvorcem at Fountain 
Hills.

British amateur astronomer Peter Birtwhistle (b.1958) was measuring 
positions of comets and NEAs photographically during 1982-1986 and in 
2002 began CCD astrometry in Great Shefford, Berkshire. On 2003 Sept. 29 
he provided confirmation of 2003 SQ222, whose passage at 84 000 km from 
the earth is the closest known.

SUPERNOVA 2003lr IN UGC 2904
A LOSS discovery of a possible supernova in the galaxy UGC 2904 has been 
reported on IAUC 8266. The object, of magnitude 18.3, was recorded on 
KAIT images of 2003 Dec 28.2UT and was found to have brightened to 
magnitude 17.8 on later images of 2004 Jan 10.

The object is located at:
RA 03h 56m 59.00s DEC +16 29' 37.5" (2000), 15.9"E and 33.3"N of the 
centre of parent galaxy.

Hitoshi Yamaoka, Japan, adds that this spiral (Sb) galaxy makes a pair 
with UGC 2905. (VSNET-OBS 48342).

SUPERNOVA 2004B IN IC 390
K. Itagaki, Japan, has reported the discovery of a magnitude 17.8 
supernova in IC 390 on images of 2004 Jan 12.569UT using a 0.60-m f/5.7 
reflector with CCD according to IAUC 8268. It is located at:
RA 04h 42m 04.71s DEC -07 12' 08.2" (2000), 12"E and 15"N of the centre 
of the parent galaxy.

Guy M Hurst