Electronic Telegram No. 3030
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@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.htmlPrepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network
SUPERNOVA 2012aj = PSN J16270396+5136498
J. Newton and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent supernova
(mag 16.9) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.1) taken with a 0.40-m
reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Feb. 21.4941 UT in the course of the
Puckett Observatory Supernova Search. The new object, which was confirmed at
mag 16.9 on Feb. 22.543 by Puckett with the 40-cm reflector at Portal, is
located at R.A. = 16h27m03s.96, Decl. = +51o36'49".8 (equinox 2000.0), which
is 7".4 west and 0".1 south of the center of PGC 214498. Nothing is visible
at this position on images taken by Puckett on 2011 Mar. 17 (limiting mag
19.0). The variable was designated PSN J16270396+5136498 when it was posted
at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012aj based
on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. Puckett has posted an
image of 2012aj at URL
http://www.possdata.com/PSNJ16270396+5136498.jpg.
Unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag about 18.5) taken by L. Elenin
(Lyubertsy, Russia) and I. Molotov (Moscow, Russia) on Feb. 22.35 remotely
with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope in strong wind at the ISON-NM Observatory near
Mayhill, NM, USA, yield mag about 16.1 and position end figures 04s.02,
49".3.
G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on
behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 340-740 nm)
of PSN J16270396+5136498 = 2012aj was obtained on Feb. 22 UT by J. Irwin with
the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST). Cross-correlation
with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code
(SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) shows that 2012aj is a type-Ia
supernova more than two weeks after maximum light. A good fit is found to the
template of the normal type-Ia supernova 1995D at +16 days and z = 0.031.
NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.
(C) Copyright 2012 CBAT
2012 February 23 (CBET 3030) Daniel W. E. Green
Electronic Telegram No. 3033
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@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.htmlPrepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network
SUPERNOVA 2012al = PSN J10061161+4717406
A. J. Drake, R. Williams, S. G. Djorgovski, M. J. Graham, and A. Mahabal,
California Institute of Technology; J. L. Prieto, Princeton University; M.
Catelan, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; R. H. McNaught, Australian
National University; E. C. Beshore and S. M. Larson, Lunar and Planetary
Laboratory, University of Arizona; and E. Christensen, Gemini Observatory,
report the discovery of an apparent supernova in images from the Catalina
Sky Survey (CSS).
SN 2012 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset
2012al Feb. 24.33 10 06 11.61 +47 17 40.6 18.1 1".6 E, 1".4 S
The variable was designated PSN J10061161+4717406 when it was posted at the
Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012al based on the
spectroscopic confirmation reported below. Additional CCD magnitudes for
2012al (unfiltered unless noted otherwise): Feb. 1.40 UT, [19.5 (CSS);
25.170, 17.1 (Joseph Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; remotely using a 51-cm
RCOS telescope + STL11K camera + luminance filter at the New Mexico Skies
Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; position end figures 11s.63, 40".4;
image posted at URL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/6930060183/);25.506, 17.3 (L. Elenin, Lyubertsy, Russia; and I. Molotov, Moscow, Russia;
images taken remotely with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope at the ISON-NM Observatory
near Mayhill; position end figures 11s.66 +/- 0".2, 40".5 +/- 0".2; NOMAD
reference stars; limiting mag about 19.1); 25.909, R = 17.5 (Federica Luppi,
Varese, Italy; 0.36-m f/7.9 reflector + Bessell R filter; position end figures
11s.65, 41".3; reference stars from CMC-14 catalogue; image posted at website
URL
http://www.astrogeo.va.it/pub/TOCP/PSN_J10061161+4717406.jpg).
L. Tomasella, S. Benetti, A. Pastorello, and S. Valenti, Istituto
Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, report that a
spectrogram of PSN J10061161+4717406 = SN 2012al, obtained on Feb. 25.90 UT
with the 1.82-m Copernico Telescope (+ AFOSC; range 340-790 nm, resolution 2.4
nm) indicates that it is a type-IIn supernova at a redshift of z about 0.04.
Prominent hydrogen Balmer lines are visible in emission, with a FWHM velocity
of 2000-2500 km/s.
NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.
(C) Copyright 2012 CBAT
2012 February 27 (CBET 3033) Daniel W. E. Green
Electronic Telegram No. 3035
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@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.htmlPrepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network
SUPERNOVA 2012an IN NGC 6373 = PSN J17241023+5900069
J. Newton and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent supernova
(mag 17.4) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.1) taken with a 0.40-m
reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Feb. 21.5291 UT in the course of the
Puckett Observatory Supernova Search. The new object, which was confirmed
at mag 17.4 on Feb. 22.543 by Puckett with the 40-cm reflector at Portal, is
located at R.A. = 17h24m10s.23, Decl. = +59o00'06".9 (equinox 2000.0), which
is 16".3 east and 24".2 north of the center of NGC 6373. Nothing is visible
at this position on images taken by Puckett on 2011 Mar. 21 (limiting mag
19.2). The variable was designated PSN J17241023+5900069 when it was posted
at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012an based
on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. The discoverers posted an
image of 2012an at URL
http://www.possdata.com/PSNJ17241023+5900069.jpg.
Additional CCD magnitudes for 2012an (unfiltered unless noted otherwise):
Feb. 22.191, 17.0 (F. Luppi and L. Buzzi, Varese, Italy; 0.38-m reflector;
position end figures 10s.28, 06".5; reference stars from the NOMAD catalogue;
image posted at website URL
http://www.astrogeo.va.it/pub/TOCP/PSN_N6373.jpg);22.501, 17.1 (L. Elenin, Lyubertsy, Russia; and I. Molotov, Moscow, Russia;
remotely with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope at the ISON-NM Observatory near Mayhill,
NM, USA; position end figures 10s.26, 06".2; NOMAD reference stars; limiting
mag about 20.2); 22.516, 17.6 (J. Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; remotely using
a 51-cm RCOS telescope + STL11K camera + luminance filter at the New Mexico
Skies Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; position end figures 10s.32, 06".1;
image posted at URL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/6775323836/).
The type-II supernova 2001ad also appeared in NGC 6373 (cf. IAUCs 7596, 7597).
S. W. Jha, C. McCully, and B. Patel, Rutgers University, report that a
spectrum (range 460-980 nm) of SN 2012an = PSN J17241023+5900069, taken on
Feb. 26.7 UT with the Keck II 10-m telescope (+ DEIMOS), shows it to be a
type-IIb supernova, likely one to two weeks after explosion. The spectrum
shows strong P-Cyg profiles of H-alpha and He I 587.6-, 667.8-, and 706.5-nm.
Adopting a recession velocity for NGC 6373 of 3320 km/s (Falco et al. 1999,
PASP 111, 438) yields an expansion velocity of 12900 km/s (from the H-alpha
minimum) or 9000 km/s (from the minima of the He I features). Cross-
correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova
Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) yields a
good match to the type-IIb supernova 1997dd, though with an uncertain age.
NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.
(C) Copyright 2012 CBAT
2012 February 27 (CBET 3035) Daniel W. E. Green