[IAUC] CBET 2974: 20120111 : SUPERNOVA 2012A IN NGC 3239 = PSN J10250739+1709146

Mar Ene 10 23:20:20 ART 2012

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 2974
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director:  Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University;
 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA  02138; U.S.A.
e-mail:  cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat en iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


SUPERNOVA 2012A IN NGC 3239 = PSN J10250739+1709146
     B. Moore, J. Newton, and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent
supernova (mag 14.6) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 18.8) taken with
a 0.40-m reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Jan. 7.3869 UT in the course of
the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search.  The new object, which was confirmed
at mag 14.4 on Jan. 8.3352 by Puckett with the 40-cm reflector at Portal, is
located at R.A. = 10h25m07s.39, Decl. = +17o09'14".6 (equinox 2000.0), which
is 25" east and 16" south of the center of the irregular galaxy NGC 3239.
Nothing is visible at this position on images taken by Puckett on 2011 Dec. 29
(limiting mag 19.0).  An image has been posted by the discoverers at website
URL http://www.possdata.com/PSNJ10250739+1709146.jpg.  The variable was
designated PSN J10250739+1709146 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's
TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012A based on the spectroscopic
confirmation reported below.
     Additional CCD magnitudes reported for 2012A (unfiltered unless noted
otherwise):  Jan. 9.054 UT, 13.9 (F. Luppi and Luca Buzzi, Varese, Italy;
0.38-m f/6.8 reflector; position end figures 07s.38, 14".3; reference stars
from CMC-14 catalogue; image posted at the following website URL:
http://www.astrogeo.va.it/pub/TOCP/PSN_N3239.jpg); 9.182, 13.9 (T. Yusa,
Osaki, Japan, remotely using a 0.43-m f/4.4 reflector + FLI ProLine EV2
CCD47-10-1-109 camera at the AstroCamp Observatory, Nerpio, Spain; limiting
mag 16.5; position end figures 07s.42, 14".4; offset 33" east and 31" south,
though highly uncertain due to difficulty in determining any center to NGC
3239; UCAC3 reference stars; image posted at the following website URL:
http://space.geocities.jp/yusastar77/supernova/PSNinNGC3239_120109.htm);
9.221, R = 15.57 (Hidetaka Sato, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan; remotely using a
0.43-m f/4.5 reflector + EV2 CCD47-10-1-109 camera at iTelescope Astrocamp
Observatory, Nerpio; position end figures 07s.40, 14".4; USNO-A2.0 reference
stars); 9.511, 13.8 (R. A. Koff, Bennett, CO, USA; Meade 0.25-m f/10 reflector
+ Apogee AP-47p camera; bright Moon; limiting magnitude 17.5; position end
figures 07s.37, 14".6; UCAC3 reference stars; image posted at website URL
http://antelopehillsobservatory.org/SNpictures/PSNJ10250739+1709146final.jpg);
9.723, 13.1 (Joseph Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; 41-cm RCOS telescope +
STL6K camera + infrared filter; bandpass > 700 nm; position end figures 07s.38,
14".2; image posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/6669618061/);
10.042, B = 14.12 +/- 0.10, V = 14.02 +/- 0.07, R = 13.85 +/- 0.07, I = 13.93
+/- 0.10 (Gyula M. Szabo, MTA Konkoly Observatory, Piszkesteto, Hungary;
automated 40-cm telescope + FLI ML8300 CCD camera); 10.071, V = 13.7 (M.
Martignoni, Magnago, Italy, 25-cm f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector).

     V. Stanishev, Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofisica, Instituto Superior
Tecnico, Lisbon, on behalf of a larger collaboration, reports that a spectrum
of PSN J10250739+1709146 = SN 2012A, obtained on Jan. 10.145 UT by T. Pursimo
with the Nordic Optical Telescope (+ ALFOSC; range 350-920 nm), shows it to be
a type-II supernova soon after explosion.


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

                         (C) Copyright 2012 CBAT
2012 January 11                  (CBET 2974)              Daniel W. E. Green