Check those wide field images!!

[Merlin66]

The following notice has been posted re a 6mag object in the Hyades. You may have picked it up on one of your images....now is the time to check!!

AAVSO Special Notice #300

Possible bright transient in the Hyades field
October 23, 2012

Ian Shelton (Mount Allison University & U. Toronto) wrote in
Astronomer's Telegram #4513 that a possible 6th magnitude transient with
very red color was detected in a DSLR image of the the field of the
Hyades on 2012 October 22.4361 (JD 2456222.9361). Coordinates given for
the transient are the following (J2000):

RA: 04 23 29 , Dec: +17 58 29

No additional information about the exposure, filters, or other imaging
techniques used were given, and only a single image was presented in the
Telegram. We have independently checked VSX to ensure that there is no
known variable star within 10 arcminutes of this position, and the Minor
Planet Center's MPChecker utility (available at
http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/checkmp.cgi ) yields no minor
planets coincident with that position and time.

This is a very tentative report, and confirming observations are required.
If the transient is confirmed, followup observations -- including
spectroscopy -- are strongly encouraged.

This AAVSO Special Notice was prepared by M. Templeton.
---------------------------------------------------
SUBMIT OBSERVATIONS TO THE AAVSO

Information on submitting observations to the AAVSO may be found at:
http://www.aavso.org/observing/submit/

[Poita]

I actually have a few to check. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Rob_K]

Not looking good for this one, a couple of negative obs posted to vsnet_alert.

Nonetheless, amateur images can be a fertile source of information but they are rarely accessed - great that you put this up Ken. :thumbsup:

The SMC is a recent case in point - a nova was discovered on 11 Oct(OGLE-2012-NOVA-002), well past its prime. Professional observatories have been observing it in decline and reporting through The Astronomers' Telegram. The nova should have got to peak brightness about mag 12 some time in or before early June this year but went unnoticed apparently.

Who knows what information might be available in amateur images? It is a fairly popular southern target after all. FWIW the co-ords are 00:32:55.06, -74:20:19.7 (J2000).
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=4483
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=4487
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=4500
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=4501

Cheers -

[astroron]

A possible point of interest:question:
The poster is none other than the discoverer of Supernova 1987a Ian Shelton:)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[naskies]

Random coincidences: I had the pleasure of giving his brother a tour of the southern skies at a dark sky site at the last New Moon... the first time he'd ever seen the LMC in person! :)