Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3559: SN IN NGC 1255; 1980s
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Read IAUC 3560
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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