THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 398 1990 Mar 29 19.29UT Microlink:MAG60138 JANET:GMH at UK.AC.RO-GREENWICH.STARLINK Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone: (0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 Telex: 94082518 Answerback: TAGUY ------------------------------------------------------------------ POSSIBLE SUPERNOVA IN NGC 3359 (=Q1990/34) David Greenwood, Morecambe, reports an observation of a possible supernova in NGC 3359 (RA 10h43.4m DEC +63 30',1950). On Mar 28 at 00.25UT he noted a magnitude 14 object 120"N and 45"W of the nucleus using a 0.47-m reflector x80. There is no corresponding object on the TA patrol chart of 850423, the Salmi charts or the Palomar Sky Survey. A photograph of the galaxy by Alan Young appeared in The Astronomer Vol 22 No 253 of 1985 May showing an earlier supernova, 1985H. Confirmation is urgently required. POSSIBLE OUTBURST OF UZ BOO Patrick Schmeer, West Germany, has reported a possible sighting of UZ Boo, a UG star with rare outbursts, and located at: RA 14h41m42s DEC +22 13.3' (1950). Patrick estimated it at magnitude 13 in difficult conditions on 1990 Mar 27 at 23.10UT. Following a request for confirmation from the Editor, Stephen Lubbock reported that it was not seen on Mar 28 at 23.10UT to a limit of 14.4 but Gary Poyner, Birmingham has subsequently telephoned a report of a tentative sighting at 14.8 on Mar 28 at 23.20UT. As confirmation is not yet totally clear, further observations are urgently needed. COMET AUSTIN (1989c1) The orbital elements below, by B. G. Marsden, Center for Astrophysics, from MPC 16205, are based on observations through Mar.17, with corresponding 'original' and 'future' 1/a, respectively (+/- 0.00009, in units of AU**-1): -0.00019, -0.00057. Epoch = 1990 Apr. 19.0 ET T = 1990 Apr. 9.9708 ET Peri. = 61.5625 e = 1.000301 Node = 75.2223 1950.0 q = 0.349854 AU Incl. = 58.9574 The predicted magnitudes are from the formula on IAUC 4926: 1990 ET R.A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m1 Apr. 19 1 06.17 +34 04.2 0.810 0.434 2.8 24 0 42.48 +35 42.3 29 0 16.72 +35 58.0 0.601 0.625 3.4 May 4 23 47.82 +35 04.4 9 23 13.08 +32 50.4 0.418 0.830 3.5 14 22 28.19 +28 29.0 19 21 28.10 +20 18.7 0.273 1.029 3.3 24 20 11.89 + 6 41.0 29 18 50.83 - 9 16.4 0.250 1.219 3.6 June 3 17 42.28 -21 00.3 8 16 52.88 -27 32.4 0.388 1.401 5.0 Total visual magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 4983): Mar. 23.48 UT, 5.8 (A. Pearce, Scarborough, W. Australia, 20x80 binoculars); 24.14, 5.8 (C. S. Morris, Pine Mountain Club, CA, 20x80 binoculars); 26.14, 5.2: (Morris); 26.79, 5.7 (J.-C. Merlin, Le Creusot, France, 0.40-m reflector); 27.05, 5.6 (G. Kronk, Troy, IL, 20x80 binoculars; tail about 1 deg in p.a. 70 deg). IAUC 4985 Guy M Hurst