THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
BITNET: aavso@cfa SPAN: cfa::aavso
INTERNET: aavso@cfa.harvard.edu
Tel. 617-354-0484 FAX 617-354-0665
AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 202 (March 2, 1995)
1256-59 NOVA CENTAURI 1995
We have been informed by William Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile, of his photographic
discovery of a nova in Centaurus on Feb 23.306 UT. The nova was discovered during a
PROBLICOM survey at magnitude 7.2, using Kodak TP film with orange filter and 85-mm
lens, and was confirmed by Liller on Feb 24.04 at CCDV magnitude 7.6. No corresponding
object was visible down to magnitude 12 on a photograph taken by Liller on January 28.
R. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory, reports the following position measured by G. J.
Garradd, Loomberah, NSW, Australia (IAU Circular 6140):
RA = 13h 02m 31.99s Dec. = -60deg 11' 38.1" (2000)
CCD spectroscopy taken around Feb 25.43 UT on the 1-m telescope by J. B. Hearnshaw
and L. C. Weston, Mt. John University Observatory, New Zealand, showed strong Balmer
emission lines with P-Cygni profiles (IAU Circular 6139). Spectroscopic confirmation of N
Cen 95 was obtained by S. Benetti, European Southern Observatory, M. Della Valle,
Universita di Padova, and S. Molendi, Istituto di Fisica del CNR, Milan, who reported that
a CCD spectrogram taken on Feb 27.2 UT with the ESO 1.5-m telescope showed the object
to be a nova early in decline (IAU Circular 6141).
The following observations of N Cen 95 indicate this nova is fading slowly:
Feb 24.036, 7.59 CCDV, Liller; 24.158, 7.70 CCDV, Liller; 25.027, 8.0 D. Overbeek,
Edenvale, S. Africa (via J. Hers, Sedgefield, S. Africa); 25.676, 8.30 V, G. Christie,
Auckland, New Zealand; 25.41, 8.14 V, A.C. Gilmore, Mt. John University Observatory,
New Zealand (IAU Circular 6139); 25.62, 8.30 V, Gilmore (IAU Circular 6140); 25.805,
8.5, J. Smit, Waverly, S. Africa; 26.044, 8.3, Overbeek; 26.388, 8.49 V, Gilmore (IAU
Circular 6141), 26.941, 8.5, Overbeek.
Please use the accompanying AAVSO chart prepared by C. Scovil to observe N Cen 95,
and report your observations to Headquarters, so we may inform the astronomical
community. .
Congratulations to Bill on his latest discovery!
0438-05 SUPERNOVA 1995G IN NGC 1643
We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (IAU Circular
6138) that Robert (Bob) O. Evans, Coonabarabran, N.S.W. Australia, with J. Shobbrook
and S. Beaman, visually discovered a supernova in NGC 1643 at magnitude 15.5 on Feb.
23.5 UT using the Australian National University's 1-m reflector telescope at Siding
Spring.
P. Cass at Siding Spring confirmed the supernova photographically on Feb. 24.45 UT by
comparing the photograph taken with UK Schmidt telescope and an older red survey plate.
R. H. McNaught reported the following precise position (IAU Circular 6140):
RA = 04h 43m 44.22s Decl. = -05deg 18' 53.84" (2000)
The offsets from the galaxy center are 4.5" east and 16.1" north.
A. V. Filippenko, University of California at Berkeley, reported that inspection of CCD
spectra taken by D. Schlegel indicate that this may be a peculiar type II supernova, and that
it resembles closely SN 1994W in NGC 4041 (see AAVSO Alert Notice 189) shortly after
discovery.
Congratulations to Bob Evans, J. Shobbrook, and S. Beaman on their discovery!
0857+60 SUPERNOVA 1995F IN NGC 2726
We have also been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (IAU
Circular 6138) that D. J. Lane and P. Gray, Burke-Gaffney Observatory, Saint Mary's
University, reported their CCD discovery of a supernova in NGC 2726 on Feb 10-11 UT.
An unfiltered image taken by them on Feb 14.042 UT showed the supernova at magnitude
14.7. The supernova is offset from the galaxy center about 2" east and 1" south. The
position of NGC 2726 is:
RA = 09h 04m 54s Dec. = +59deg 56' (2000).
This object has been spectroscopically confirmed by A. V. Filippenko and A. J. Barth,
University of California at Berkeley, who suggest that this may be either a Ic or Ib type
supernova, roughly 2 to 3 weeks past maximum.
Congratulations to D. J. Lane and D. Gray on their discovery!
1900-01 NOVA AQUILAE 1995
This nova is fading slowly, as indicated by the following observations:
Feb 14.112 UT, 8.5, D. Overbeek, Edenvale, S. Africa; 15.135, 8.5, Overbeek; 17.117, 9.7,
Overbeek; 17.188 UT, 9.1, R. Fidrich, Budapest, Hungary; 17.215, 8.8, T. Vanmunster,
Landen, Belgium; 18.231, 8.5, G. Poyner, Southampton, England; 19.429, 9.2, G. Gliba,
Greenbelt, MD; 21.206, 9.5, P. Schmeer, Bischmisheim, Germany; 21.216, 9.5, J. Pietz,
Erftstadts, Germany; 22.18, 9.1, L. Kiss, Szeged, Hungary; 22.184, 9.0, T. Vanmunster,
Landen, Belgium; 22.196, 9.4, P. Schmeer, Bischmisheim, Germany; 24.169, 9.2, L.
Szentasko, Budapest, Hungary; 26.166, 9.4, Szentasko; 27.102, 9.9, Overbeek; 28.099, 9.8,
Overbeek; Mar 1.1986, 9.5, M. Kohl, Switzerland; 2.647, 9.8, Albrecht, Pahala, HI.
1436-63 NOVA CIRCINI 1995
This nova is also fading, as indicated by the following observations:
Feb 13.122, 9.2, D. Overbeek, Edenvale, S. Africa; 13.856 UT, 9.0, L.A.G. Monard,
Pretoria, S. Africa; 14.073, 9.2, D. Overbeek, Edenvale, S. Africa; 14.840, 9.0, Monard;
15.138, 9.6, Overbeek; 15.950, 9.0, Overbeek; 16.733, 9.2, Overbeek; 19.115, 9.0, S.
Dominguez, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 20.063, 9.1, Dominguez; 20.5, 9.1, T. Cragg,Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia; 22.965, 9.2, Overbeek; 24.165, 8.21 CCDV, W. Liller,
Vina del Mar, Chile; 25.825, 9.1, L. A. G. Monard, Pretoria, S. Africa; 25.825, 9.1, Monard;
26.086, 9.8, J. Smit, Waverly, S. Africa; 26.943, 10.1, Overbeek; 28.003, 9.9, Overbeek.
ASTRO-2 IS LAUNCHED - REMINDER TO MONITOR CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES
FOR ASTRO-2, EUVE, VOYAGER, AND ASCA
The space shuttle Endeavour, carrying the Astro-2 package of instruments, was successfully
launched and inserted into orbit early on March 2!
An NASA Astrophysics Division scientist communicated, "... Night launch was spectacular.
The entire sky brightened and the SRB exhaust is bright enough to be slightly painful to
watch. At three miles away, the noise level maximizes a little over a minute after launch
and was sufficiently intense ...to set off a dozen car alarms in the parking lot... Four hours
before launch the sky was very heavily overcast. At launch itself, however, the sky was
perfectly clear and full of stars. Radar showed that the [weather] front that's been worrying
us was still moving toward the pad and was no more than tens of miles away..:"
A member of the Astro-2 Science Team also communicated, "...we are lhr 30 minutes
into the flight and all looks well... Thanks for all your efforts, and STAY IN TOUCH."
Thanks to reports from observers worldwide we have started to inform the Astro-2 team
daily on the status of the 17 cataclysmic variables in their observing program (listed in
AAVSO Alert Notice 201), crediting all contributing observers by name. Please continue
your close monitoring of these stars from March 2 through March 16 and report your
observations as frequently aspossible (even if the stars are at minimum). It would be
particularly helpful if you could report your observations as soon after making them as
possible - even a few hours could make a real difference to the successful scheduling of
simultaneous observations by all the instruments involved. YOU ARE A CRUCIAL LINK
IN THIS PROGRAM!
Chart links are obsolete; 11/2013 create charts using VSP at http://www.aavso.org/vsp
Observers are welcome to use our charge-free number (800-642-3883) to report
observations. The answering machine is on nights and weekends for your convenience. We
also encourage observers to send observations by fax at 617-354-0665 or by e-mail through
the Internet at aavso@cfa.harvard.edu.
Many thanks for your efforts and valuable astronomical contributions.
Good observing!
Janet A. Mattei
Director
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