Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3348: SN IN NGC 4321; NOVALIKE OBJECT IN VULPECULA (N Vul 1979?)
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Circular No. 3348
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 4321
J. Mattei, American Association of Variable Star Observers,
reports that Gus E. Johnson, Swanton, MD, discovered a supernova
2'-2'.5 southeast of the nucleus of NGC 4321 = M 100 on Apr. 19.13 UT.
Observations by several AAVSO members suggest that the object has
brightened slightly, from perhaps magnitude ~ 12 initially to ~ 11
by Apr. 22.2 UT.
L. Rosino, Asiago Astrophysical Observatory, informs us that
on Apr. 21.1 UT P. Rafanelli found the spectrum to be featureless,
suggesting that the object is a type II supernova, possibly still
approaching maximum. R. Kirshner, University of Michigan, reports
that observations at the McGraw-Hi1l Observatory on Apr. 21.1 UT
showed the object to have a featureless blue spectrum.
NOVALIKE OBJECT IN VULPECULA (NOVA VULPECULAE 1979?)
R. W. Argyle, Royal Greenwich Observatory, telexes that a
direct exposure with the 33-cm astrograph on Apr. 12.1 UT gave the
position of this object as R.A. = 20h19m01s.09, Decl. = +21o24'43".2
(equinox 1950.0; standard error of unit weight 0".37); the unfiltered B
magnitude was 9.5. A 10-min objective-prism (dispersion 125 A/mm
at H-alpha) exposure with the 66-cm refractor showed hydrogen in
absorption.
W. Liller, G. Schwartz and C. A. Whitney, Center for Astrophysics,
report that spectrograms (dispersion up to 230 A/mm) were
obtained with the 30-cm refractor and 155-cm reflector at Harvard's
Agassiz Station on Apr. 20.3 UT. Only narrow absorption lines of
H-alpha through H-delta were present, typical of a nova near maximum. The
exposures were inadequate to show if the H and K lines were present.
Whitney also reports photometry with the 41-cm refractor: Apr.
21.33 UT, V = 8.86, B-V = +0.39, V-R = +0.43, V-I = +0.94; 22.33,
V = 8.83, B-V = +0.44, V-R = +0.45, V-I = +1.02.
A late report from Y. Kozai, Tokyo Astronomical Observatory,
notes that the object was independently discovered by M. Honda,
Kurashiki, on an exposure using Tri-X film obtained on 1978 Aug.
21.515 UT, at which time the magnitude was 10.
Visual magnitude estimates by AAVSO members suggest that the
object has remained essentially constant at magnitude 8.6-8.9 for
the past week.
1979 April 23 (3348) Brian G. Marsden
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