[vsnet-alert 4490] (fwd) possible supernova in southern galaxy pair NGC 3314

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

(fwd) possible supernova in southern galaxy pair NGC 3314

   We have received the followin report:
  (also announced in IAUC 7388 as a "possible nova")

Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 12:42:40 -0600 (CST)
From: "William C. Keel" <keel@bildad.astr.ua.edu>
Subject: possible supernova in southern galaxy pair NGC 3314

Lisa Frattare (STScI) and I have found a possible supernova in the
superimposed galaxy pair NGC 3314 (2000 coordinates 10 37 12.8 -27 40 51),
located 10" north and 1" west of the nucleus of the foreground galaxy.
Comparison of multicolor HST images from 4 April 1999 and 10 March 2000
shows an object of magnitude V=21.6 in the 2000 data. This is too bright for
a normal nova and suggests a supernova either rising or falling. From
these sparse data we cannot say which. A typical supernova at this distance
(in the Hydra I galaxy cluster, Abell 1060) would peak around magnitudes
15-16. We would like to know whether (1) any such object is now present
in NGC 3314, and (2) whether any such object has appeared in recent
months. One possibility is that a bright supernova outburst occurred
near solar conjunction and has been fading ever since, so we would
especially like to hear from any observers who have obtained images in the 
last year showing NGC 3314 to this depth. Negative results from previous
months reaching fainter than visual magnitude 16 would be particularly useful,
as well as current observations that could tell whether or not the
new object has continued to brighten.

William C. Keel
Astronomy, University of Alabama
keel@bildad.astr.ua.edu

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