[IAUC] CBET 1707: 20090228 : SUPERNOVA 2009an IN NGC 4332

[IAUC mailing list]

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 1707
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS en CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT en CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


SUPERNOVA 2009an IN NGC 4332
     Giancarlo Cortini and Stefano Antonellini, Predappio, Italy, report
the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag about 15.4) on several unfiltered
CCD images (limiting mag about 18.5) taken on Feb. 27.93 UT in the course
of their supernova-search program with a 35-cm telescope at Monte Maggiore
Observatory.  The new object is located at R.A. = 12h22m47s.4, Decl. =
+65o51'04".5 (equinox 2000.0), which is 1" east and 33" north of the center
of the galaxy NGC 4332.  Nothing is visible at this position on their image
of the same field taken on 2008 Oct. 5.91 (limiting mag about 18.5) or on
Palomar Sky Survey red and blue plates.
     Following posting on the Central Bureau's unconfirmed-objects webpage,
Petri Kehusmaa (Hyvinkaa, Finland) reported an independent discovery of
2009an at mag 15.6 by Mikko Paivinen (Rajamaki, Finland) and himself on a
100-s unfiltered image (limiting mag 19.7) taken by Paivinen with a 28-cm
Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector (+ SBIG ST-2000 CCD camera) in the course of
their supernova-search program on Feb. 26.06 UT, with a confirming image
taken by Paivinen on Feb. 28.06 that yields mag 15.2 for the new object
(USNO-A2.0 red magnitudes used for comparison stars); Kehusmaa measured
position end figures 47s.47, 04".6 (offset about 25" north of the center of
NGC 4332), adding that nothing is visible at this position on their image
from Jan. 17.13 (limiting mag 20.2) or on Digital Sky Survey red or
infrared plates.
     Confirming unfiltered images (limiting mag 17.4) and R-band images
(limiting mag R = 15.8) of 2009an were also obtained by M. Nissinen and
V.-P. Hentunen (Varkaus, Finland) remotely using a 30-cm reflector at the
RAS Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A., on Feb. 28.29 UT, measuring mag
15.4 from the R-band image and position end figures 47s.48, 04".3 (offset
4" east, 27" north); nothing is visible at this position on a red Palomar
Sky Survey plate (via the Digitized Sky Survey).
     S. Moretti, Forli, Italy, obtained four confirming unfiltered CCD images
of 2009an also using a 25-cm telescope remotely from near Mayhill on Feb.
28.416 UT, finding mag 15.4 and position end figures 47s.47, 04".2.
     H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, reports that K. Itagaki (Yamagata, Japan)
obtained a confirming unfiltered CCD image of 2009an on Feb. 28.583 UT
with a 0.60-m reflector, yielding mag about 15.3 and position end figures
47s.37, 4".6 for the new object.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 February 28                 (CBET 1707)              Daniel W. E. Green