Potential SN in M99 (Now SN 2014L)

[alexch]

Hi All,

There is a potential Supernova in M99: http://remanzacco.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/possible-supernova-in-m99-galaxy.html

I managed to escape to the ASV Leon Mow Dark Sky Site yesterday before the heatwave came back and snapped a quick image of M99 with my 22" f/3.6 Dob and Sony NEX5N. The galaxy was quite low at 35 degrees altitude with rather horrible seeing.

56x15sec (ISO 3200) images stacked in DSS, quick processing in Photoshop CC to reveal what is there.

I tried to see it visually but at 180x magnification I could not split it from the core and at 260x it was too dim to confidently detect it.

Cheers,
Alex

[alpal]

Hi Alex,
Nice catch.
I often wanted to go to the ASV Leon Mow Dark Sky Site but
I'm a member of the ASM not the ASV.
Did you have some way of guiding the large Dob?
The stars are round but maybe the stacking did that?

cheers
Allan

[alexch]

Hi Allan,

The dob iz tracking in Alt-Az with Servocat/ArgoNavis. The mount is for visual use so I do short 15s subs and discard 60-80% of them where the stars are not round due to wind or tracking.

Cheers,
Alex

[alpal]

OK - now I understand.
Imagine the pics you could take if you got that 22" Dob on a giant GEM?

[allan gould]

Alex
That's a great capture especially since you used a Nex5. The colour looks smooth and the detail is there, excellent for 15 second subs.
Allan

[alexch]

Thanks Allan. My NEX5N is modified with Baader UVIR filter.

The Type Ic (stripped core-collapse) supernova is now officially SN 2014L.