[IAUC] CBET 2629: 20110110 : TRANSIENT OBJECTS CONFIRMATION PAGE

[quai en eps.harvard.edu]

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 2629
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


TRANSIENT OBJECTS CONFIRMATION PAGE
     The Central Bureau has established a "Transient Objects Confirmation Page"
(TOCP), activated on 2011 January 1, to replace the former "Unconfirmed-
Objects" webpage (http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/cbat_unconf.html) that
the CBAT has run quite successfully since 2003, and which was updated manually
by CBAT staff members.  In contrast, this new webpage is designed to be updated
automatically both by astronomers worldwide who are registered (via the CBAT)
to do so and (when necessary) manually by CBAT staff.

     The TOCP addresses a strong desire in the astronomical community for
immediate posting of interesting new transient objects, to solicit confirming
observations (and thus to provide a place to post confirming observations, and
to help prevent potentially unnecessary observations at multiple observatories).
The TOCP is designed for use with stationary, extra-solar-system objects only.
Data will be postable to the TOCP directly only by registered users, who can
access RSS feeds and/or receive e-mails of new postings.  There is no
subscription charge for access (or posting) to the TOCP.  The website URL for
the new TOCP is http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp.html.  Once items
are posted on the TOCP, they will be available as RSS feeds -- as has been the
case since 2009 for CBETs and IAUCs.  The discovery reports posted on the TOCP
will be sent automatically in standard XML format to the VOEvent system.

     The Central Bureau assigns formal IAU designations to various objects,
both within and outside the solar system.  For decades now, the CBAT has
assigned year-and-letter supernova designations to objects that are observed
to be near extragalactic galaxies on two or more nights, even without
spectroscopic confirmation -- while the formal GCVS designation of Milky-Way
novae is not given until such objects are spectroscopically confirmed.  With
the introduction of the TOCP, the Central Bureau will move immediately toward
the Milky-Way-nova model of designating supernovae, in which final year-and-
letter designation will not be issued until spectroscopic confirmation is
made for any given object.  For novae, supernovae, and other "new" variables,
the TOCP will automatically assign provisional designations based on position,
of the form TCP Jhhmmssss+ddmmsss (giving R.A. to 0s.01 and Decl. to 0".1 with
no decimal points), where a three-letter prefix will be used to denote type of
object (PSN = possible supernova; PNV = possible nova; TCP = unknown type of
variable).  Additional information is given at the following website URL:
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp_help.html.  Once spectroscopic
confirmation is reported, a final designation will be announced by the Central
Bureau both via the TOCP and via CBET or IAUC, and a cross-reference list (of
provisional vs. final designations) is being maintained to aid users at URL
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp.html.

     In order to post a discovery or follow-up observation to the TOCP, a user
must be registered with the Central Bureau.  The CBAT is starting with a
working list of several dozen registered users, compiled from contributors who
have sent multiple discovery or follow-up reports to the Central Bureau in the
past year.  Additional registrants can contact the Bureau to be added to the
list, by sending an e-mail request to cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu.  All can access
the TOCP RSS feed at http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp.xml (requests
to receive TOCP postings by e-mail should be sent also as an e-mail request to
cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu; this will not be done automatically unless a request
is made to do so a specific registrant).  Of course, the TOCP and its RSS
feeds will be freely available to both registrants and non-registrants.

     There will be two types of formats for reporting observations:  a
discovery-observation format and a follow-up-observation format.  The discovery
format requires that certain data be provided in order for automatic posting,
whereas the follow-up format is a "comment" format with more flexibility.
There are two automatic ways in which registered astronomers can add their
observations to this webpage in a standard format:  (1) by sending data via
e-mail to cbattcp en eps.harvard.edu in a strict column-by-column format
(described at the TOCP webpage) or (2) by filling out a form at the TOCP
website.  There are automatic computer checks to determine whether
information is provided in proper columns; follow the instructions carefully
to ensure proper posting.  Follow-up observations should be reported using
the provisional positional designation posted at the TOCP for a given object.
While the contributed TOCP discovery lines have a specific column-by-column
format, the contributed follow-up-data lines are "free form" beyond column
42 (i.e., after the proper inclusion of the provisional positional
designation and the UT date).  To post one or more lines to the TOCP in an
e-mail message, the sender must type either "TOCP discovery observation" or
"TOCP follow-up observation" on the subject line for proper posting.
Alternatively, reports sent outside of these two standard procedures (e.g.,
to cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu) will be reviewed, and posted (sometimes
necessarily with a delay) on the TOCP, by the CBAT staff -- as has always
been the case in the past; numerous discovery reports from the last couple
of weeks have been so posted by the CBAT staff on the TOCP during final
testing of the website mechanics.

     Note that all contributors to this TOCP should also send a separate e-mail
with details in textual form to cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu, as such details will
be used in any announcement CBET or IAUC later.  Announcement of extra-solar-
system transients on CBETs and IAUCs will generally be reserved for objects
with spectroscopic confirmation (and thus the site where "final" designations
are given, as is the case now) or for brighter objects that are being heavily
observed.  The CBAT will only occasionally publish reports on CBETs or IAUCs of
objects discovered and observed on a single night only without spectroscopic
confirmation.  Sometimes reports are received of such objects that contain
observations on only a single night (or sometimes more than one night), needing
confirmation before formal announcement and designation on IAUCs or CBETs --
but where the observer does not want his/her observation(s) posted prior to
confirmation; as in the past, such reports can be sent to the CBAT at e-mail
address cbatiau en eps.harvard.edu -- which is also the e-mail address to use for
non-TOCP reports in textual form.

     The TOCP was created following extensive discussions with observers,
both professional and amateur.  It will necessarily evolve over time to
address additional needs of the astronomical community.  Users who experience
problems with posting on the TOCP should (after verifying that they
carefully followed instructions at the TOCP webpages) contact the Bureau
with details.


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

                         (C) Copyright 2011 CBAT
2011 January 10                  (CBET 2629)              Daniel W. E. Green