THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Tel. 617-354-0484 Fax 617-354-0665 http://www.aavso.org * * * AAVSO NEWS FLASH * * * Subject: 0442+78 SN 2001B 0803+62 SU UMA No. 721 0650+59 SN 2001C 1317-41 V803 CEN January 8, 2001 0139+37 AR AND 1953+77 AB DRA 0206+57A TZ PER ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0442+78 SUPERNOVA 2001B IN IC 391 We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (IAU Circular 7555) that D.W. Xu and Y.L. Qiu, on behalf of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory supernova survey, report the discovery of a supernova on Jan. 3.61 UT at unfiltered CCD magnitude about 15.5. Images taken by the survey on Jan. 4.57 UT show the supernova at magnitude about 15.2. Nothing was seen at the location of the supernova down to magnitude 18.3 on an unfiltered image taken on 2000 Dec. 24.54 UT. SN 2001B is located 5.6" west and 8.9" south of the nucleus of IC 391 at: R.A. = 04h 57m 19.24s Decl. = +78 degrees 11' 16.5" (2000.0) An AAVSO preliminary chart of the region around IC 391 and showing SN 2001B is being prepared and will be posted on the AAVSO website as soon as it is available. Congratulations to the Beijing Astronomical Observatory supernova survey team on its discovery! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0650+59 SUPERNOVA 2001C IN PGC 19975 We have also been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (IAU Circular 7555) that T. Puckett, Mountain Town, GA, and A. Sehgal, Woodinville, WA, discovered an apparent supernova on Jan. 4.09 UT at unfiltered CCD magnitude 14.7 (limiting magnitude 20.5), using the Puckett Observatory 0.60-m automated supernova patrol telescope. The object was present on CCD frames taken Jan. 5.04 UT, but not on images taken by Puckett 2000 October 27-31, or on the Palomar Sky Survey images taken on 1995 Nov. 11 and 1954 Nov. 3 (limiting magnitude about 21.0 and 19.7, respectively). SN 2001C is located 14.7" east and 5.7" south of the center of PGC 19975 at: R.A. = 06h 59m 36.10s Decl. = +59 degrees 31' 01.6" (2000.0) An AAVSO preliminary chart of the region around PGC 19975 and showing SN 2001C is being prepared and will be posted on the AAVSO website as soon as it is available. Congratulations to T. Puckett and A. Sehgal on their discovery! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0139+37 AR ANDROMEDAE The dwarf nova type cataclysmic variable AR AND is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials JAN 02.927 <14.5 RMQ JAN 05.0000 <12.9 CGF JAN 03.0000 <13.9 CGF JAN 06.805 12.1 OJR JAN 03.1618 <13.9 SXN JAN 06.873 12.4 MUY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0206+57A TZ PERSEI The dwarf nova type (Z CAM subclass) cataclysmic variable TZ PER is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials JAN 03.714 14.1 RMQ JAN 06.8597 13.0 JCN JAN 04.710 <13.9 RMQ JAN 06.883 12.8 MUY JAN 06.768 13.0 OJR JAN 07.013 13.0 PYG ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0803+62 SU URSAE MAJORIS The dwarf nova type (SU UMA subclass prototype) cataclysmic variable SU UMA appears to be in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials JAN 02.922 14.0 RMQ JAN 06.806 13.2 OJR JAN 03.1306 <13.9 SXN JAN 06.890 <13.9 MUY JAN 03.4 <13.9 CGF JAN 07.056 12.7 PYG ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1317-41 V803 CENTAURI The variable V803 CEN is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials JAN 04.021 14.5 MLF JAN 06.061 13.0 MLF JAN 04.810 12.8 PEX ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1953+77 AB DRACONIS The dwarf nova type (Z CAM subclass) cataclysmic variable AB DRA is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials JAN 03.711 14.1: RMQ JAN 06.7576 13.3 JCN JAN 04.694 14.0: RMQ JAN 06.770 12.4 OJR JAN 04.9917 13.3 CGF JAN 06.895 12.8 MUY JAN 06.749 13.2 PYG JAN 07.034 12.7 CGF ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We thank the following contributors for the data that they have provided for this News Flash: OJR - J. OSORIO, SPAIN CGF - G. CHAPLE JR., USA PEX - A. PEARCE, AUSTRALIA JCN - C. JONES, ENGLAND PYG - G. POYNER, ENGLAND MLF - L. MONARD, SOUTH AFRICA RMQ - M. RESZELSKI, POLAND MUY - E. MUYLLAERT, BELGIUM SXN - M. SIMONSEN, USA Please monitor these and other variable stars closely and phone-in, fax, or e-mail your observations to the AAVSO. Good observing! Janet A. Mattei, Director Rebecca Pellock, Technical Assistant Elizabeth Waagen, Senior Technical Assistant ____________________________________________________________________________ Symbols may include: < = fainter than magnitude given (variable not seen) : = uncertain CCDV = Charge-coupled device with (V) filter If you would like to contribute to AAVSO NEWS FLASH, please send observations of unusual variable star activity to: observations@aavso.org Those who wish to subscribe (free of charge) or unsubscribe to NEWS FLASH may do so by visiting the following web page: http://www.aavso.org If you would like data from the AAVSO International Database for research purposes, please send your request to: Janet Mattei, AAVSO Director, at aavso@aavso.org An archive of past issues of the News Flash is available at the following web page: http://www.aavso.org/newsflash/ We look forward to including your observations in future editions of AAVSO NEWS FLASH! ____________________________________________________________________________