Alert Notice 385: SN 2008fw in NGC 3261

September 29, 2008 : As announced in CBET 1521 (Monard and Morrell; Daniel W.E. Green, editor), SN 2008fw, a supernova of type Ia, has been discovered in the spiral galaxy NGC 3261 by L.A.G. "Berto" Monard of South Africa.  The most recent observation placed the supernova at an unfiltered magnitude of 14.2 on 2008 September 26.123 (JD 2454735.623).  It has been within 0.1 magnitude of that measure since its discovery, and it is believed to be no more than one week past maximum.  N. Morrell reports that spectroscopy taken with the Las Campanas du Pont 2.5-meter telescope for the Carnegie Supernova Project has confirmed that SN 2008fw is a supernova of type-Ia.
 

CBET 1521 lists the following unfiltered CCD observations: 2008 July 28.687 (JD 2454676.187), m(CV) < 18.0; 2008 Sept 19.130 (JD 2454728.630), m(CV) = 14.3; 2008 Sept 20.128 (JD 2454729.628), m(CV) = 14.2; 2008 Sept 22.125 (JD 2454731.625), m(CV) = 14.1; 2008 Sept 23.118 (JD 2454732.618), m(CV) = 14.2; 2008 Sept 24.118 (JD 2454733.618), m(CV) = 14.2; 2008 Sept 26.123 (JD 2454735.623) m(CV) = 14.2.  CBET 1521 also gives the following filtered magnitudes: 2008 Sept 22.125 (JD 2454731.625), m(V) = 14.0, (B-V) ~ -0.2.

NGC 3261 is a face-on barred spiral.  The supernova lies 52 arcseconds west and 30 arcseconds south of the nucleus, and is between spiral arms.

Supernova 2008fw is located at the following coordinates:

RA: 10 28 55.97 , Dec: -44 39 55.6 (J2000)

A comparison star sequence is not yet available, but finder charts may be plotted using VSP: 

http://www.aavso.org/vsp

It is advisable to check the "Use DSS Image" option so that NGC 3261 is included on the chart.

Please SUBMIT OBSERVATIONS TO THE AAVSO with the name "SN 2008fw" (AUID 000-BFT-973).

Good observing,
Matthew Templeton
Staff Astronomer, AAVSO

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