supernova in NGC240

posted by Martin Frey to uk.sci.astronomy.

I've just got an email from Jean-Luc L. J. Dighaye, forwarded from Ole
Nielsen.

---

The brightest supernova for years has flared up in the nearby galaxy
NGC 2403 in Camelopardalis. The supernova could have been better timed
as the galaxy is currently about as low it can get in the sky (lower
culmination around local midnight). But still the supernova should be
visible with reasonable sized optics, even with light pollution and
Full Moon.


2004dj, CBET 74 discovered 2004/07/31.76 by Koichi Itagaki

Found in NGC 2403 at R.A. = 07h37m17s.02, Decl. =+65°35'57".8

Located 160" east and 10" north of the nucleus of NGC 2403

Mag 11.3 (7/31:11.2), Type unknown (References: SN 2002kg, 1954J)

---

Anybody seen it? I'm sadly hopeless at getting the scope pointing at
anything.

-- Martin Frey www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 02 E 0 47

Yeah Albert, I observe variable stars at my limit of magnitude 13.1 with my 8" SCT, so i'll try and have a look asap. I've already got an alert via aavso and vsnet. It's quite unusual to get a supernova in another galaxy so bright, I assume it's at peak brightness?, if not that would be great. Just hope we can have our own 'local' SN soon , we are after all approaching the 400th anniversary of the last visible SN in the milkyway back in the year 1604!!!! Too long...

Keith..

First I've heard of it,
But after taken some recent shots with the 12" and canon I've managed to get down to magnitude 15-16-17 here in Limerick and visually can do about 14.5 near the top 40 degrees of the sky (just about saw pluto with averted vision)
BUT, like you said, its in a really bad position, I'm not sure my horison in that direction is feasible, I'll look into it, thanks for the heads up.
The real question is how fast is it fading ???

hi guys,

I think this galaxy has had a couple of other supernovae in the last eighty years or so. The galaxy itself is visible in binoculars -- a nice bright smudge but not well known because it's in an obscure constellation.

John

Had a look tonight and could see two faint stars that were not on my chart (down to mag. 12) Then, checking against the position of the supernova given above, one of them was at that position. The galaxy was difficult to see (222mm f5.8 telescope) with the moon up but I could see stars at around Mag. 12 or better. The supervova, if it was it, I would estimate at 11.7ish.

Michael Scully