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Special Notice #228: Supernova 2011K in anonymous galaxy is Type-Ia pre-maximum

January 14, 2011: We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBET 2636, Daniel W. E. Green, Ed.) that A. J. Drake, California Institute of Technology, et al. report a Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey discovery of a supernova in a faint anonymous galaxy in Catalina Sky Survey unfiltered images on January 13.19 UT at magnitude 15.1.

Coordinates: 04:45:30.38  -07:20:52.7  (J2000.0)

Offset: 2" South of the galaxy center

Alert Notice 430: Photometry requested of Blazar-type Quasars 3C 273 and 3C 279

January 11, 2011: Dr. Kirill Sokolovsky (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Bonn) has requested the assistance of AAVSO observers to obtain optical photometry of the blazar-type quasars 3C 273 and 3C 279 during 2011. The observations obtained by AAVSO observers will be combined with multiwavelength observations - from radio to gamma-rays - as well as with very long baseline interferometry with the VLBA to obtain a better picture of what these objects are and how they vary.

Alert Notice 429: Photometry requested for three "Vestoid" Near-Earth Objects

January 8, 2011: Dr. Michael David Hicks (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) contacted the AAVSO requesting precision 
photometry of three solar system objects in support of NASA's DAWN mission to Vesta.  These objects, called 
"Vestoids", are near-Earth objects with similar reflectance spectra to Vesta itself, suggesting they may be fragments 
of that larger body.

Online Chat: Jan. 4 at 4pm

We will be hosting a Citizen Sky online chat this Tuesday at 4pm eastern (-5UT). Dr. Bob, Brian Kloppenborg, Rebecca, Aaron and other Citizen Sky and AAVSO staff will be on hand. Topics will include updates on epsilon Aurigae, the upcoming AAS meeting, and ideas for research teams. However, it will be a free chat so any AAVSO/Citizen Sky/VSO topic is welcomed.


Click here to login via a web browser.

Special Notice #227: Unusual Behavior of FS Aur - Outburst Imminent?

January 3, 2011: The campaign to monitor activity of the peculiar cataclysmic variable FS Aurigae, as announced in AAVSO Alert Notice 428 (see also AAVSO Special Notice #226), continues. Principal Investigator Dr. Vitaly Neustroev reports that the campaign is going well, and that he is very appreciative of your observing efforts and contributions.