June 20, 2006: Daniel W. E. Green, Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, reports (Central Bureau Electronic Telegram 553) the discovery by Libert A. G. (Berto) Monard, Pretoria, South Africa, of a bright apparent supernova in NGC 1316 (= Fornax A) at unfiltered CCD magnitude 15.0-15.1 on an image taken June 19.167 UT, and confirmed by Monard on June 20.155 at magnitude 14.5-14.6, using the 0.30-m Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector at the Bronberg Observatory near Pretoria, South Africa. Nothing is visible at this location on the Digitized Sky Survey (limiting magnitude 20.5 R) or on Monard's image from June 2.153 (limiting magnitude 17.5 R).
Monard gives the following position for SN 2006dd, which is offset 0.3" west and 16" North of the nucleus of NGC 1316:
R.A. 03:22:41.62 Decl. -37:12:13.0 (2000)
Additional observations from Monard: Filter photometry (all +/- 0.15 magnitude) centered on June 20.158 UT: 14.66 B, 14.41 V, 14.60 R, 14.30 I.
Please observe visually or photometrically with a B, V, and/or Ic filter.
A chart for NGC 1316 by G. D. Thompson and J. Bryan, Jr. (sequence is photoelectric V or photovisual v) is available at this URL: http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=sn%202006dd [2014 chart link http://www.aavso.org/vsp]
Report observations to the AAVSO as 0318-37 SN 2006DD. In the Chart field, put TB to indicate Thompson/Bryan.
Note that NGC 1316 is the home of the Type Ia supernovae SN 1980N (IAU Circular 3548, photographic discovery by Wischnjewsky) and SN 1981D (IAU Circular 3583, visual discovery by Evans).
Congratulations to Berto on his latest discovery!
This special notice was compiled by: Elizabeth O. Waagen
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