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IAUC 3559: SN IN NGC 1255; 1980s

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                                                  Circular No. 3559
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM     Telephone 617-864-5758


SUPERNOVA IN NGC 1255
     H.-E. Schuster, European Southern Observatory, reports the
discovery of a supernova 73" west and 59" south of the nucleus of NGC
1255.  At its discovery on 1980 Dec. 30 the object was of mag ~ 17.
The supernova was found on the first set of plates of a new supernova
search program conducted by A. B. Muller, Schuster and G. A.
Tammann with the 1.0-m Schmidt telescope.

     From existing E.S.O. plates and new spectroscopic observations
W. Seitter and H. Durbeck report the following: "The supernova, of
type II, seems to be near maximum brightness on the E.S.O. Schmidt
control plate of 1980 Oct. 30.  By Dec. 30 it had faded by about 4
magnitudes and showed strong P-Cyg-type profiles, especially of H-alpha,
H-beta and Na I D, according to spectra (dispersion 22 x 10**-6) obtained
with the image-dissector-scanner system of the E.S.O. 3.6-m telescope.
The expansion velocity is ~ -5500 km/s.  A faint object at
the location of the supernova on an Atlas plate taken four years
ago (Quick Blue Survey field 481) has an absolute magnitude of
-10, on the basis of the red shift of the parent galaxy obtained
from the H-alpha emission line in the center of the galaxy and a Hubble
constant of 100 km s**-1 Mpc**-1.  Taken at face value, this means that
the possible supernova precursor could have a mass of ~ 20 Ms.  The
supernova's own redshift is approximately that of the galaxy."


COMET LOVAS (1980s)
     The orbit of this comet cannot be reliably determined from the
three existing accurate positions (IAUC 3554-3555), but it appears
that the comet may be a short-period one.  The following ephemeris
may help observers.  Further observations are urgently needed.

     1980/81 ET  R. A. (1950) Decl.     Delta     r      m1
     Nov.  7     8 53.07    +34 11.5
          17     9 02.47    +33 54.4    1.986   2.444   17.4
          27     9 09.06    +33 43.8
     Dec.  7     9 12.47    +33 40.1    1.773   2.450   17.1
          17     9 12.35    +33 41.6
          27     9 08.63    +33 44.7    1.609   2.461   16.9
     Jan.  6     9 01.49    +33 43.9
          16     8 51.67    +33 32.4    1.525   2.477   16.9
          26     8 40.42    +33 04.6


1981 January 2                 (3559)              Brian G. Marsden

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