Two ‘bright’ supernovae in nearby galaxies are well within the range of most amateur astronomers telescopes.

Supernova Candidate PSN J10435372+1140177 in M95 – now designated 2012aw

Supernova 2012aw imaged by Nick James on March 18th

This supernova was discovered on 2012 March 16.8493 by J. Skvarc & Alessandro Dimai of the Italian Supernovae Search Project.

M95 is at R.A. = 10h43m53s.72, Decl. = +11°40′17″.7 (= NGC 3351) and the SN is located 60″ west and 115″ south of the center of M95. M95 is well placed for observation, transiting at around 23:00 UT, with the galaxy culminating at about 50° altitude.  M95 is part of the Leo I group of galaxies, about 38 million light years distant.

A discovery image can be found here:
www.observatorij.org/vstars/PSN20120317/PSNJ10435372+1140177.jpg

Nick James observation of this object (above) puts it at about magnitude 13 and adds that unfortunately Mars is very close and has caused significant interference with the image.  However, Mars will continue to move further away as time progresses.

And here is an image by Martin Mobberley, the following night:

Supernova 2012aw imaged by Martin Mobberley on March 19th

SN 2012au in NGC 4790 in Virgo

Discovered by the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey and Stan Howerton (USA) at mag 18.2C on 2012 March 14.450 but it has rapidly brightened and is currently at magnitude 13.25V.   This SN is of Type Ib, and apparently found in the early stages of its evolution so it may well brighten further.

However, it is vary close to the core of the host galaxy, but is the brightest supernova so far this year. Recent images etc can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/watchingthesky/6846911246

NGC 4790 is at R.A. = 12h54m52s.18, Decl. = -10°14′50″.2 and the SN is located 3″.5 east and 2″.0 north of the center of NGC 4790. NGC 4790 is not very far from Saturn, but currently culminates at about 27° altitude at around 01:00 UT.

Further information on these and other supernovae can be found on the extensive web page of the International Supernova Network and the Astronomy Section of the Rochester Academy of Sciences at:
www.rochesterastronomy.org/supernova.html.

Yesterday evening, following much agitation of the Earth’s magnetic field, an aurora (the northern lights) was viewed by many from the north of Scotland. Poor weather in other areas may have prevented views further south.

BAA member Denis Buczynski captured a few images of the display from Portmahomack, which will give a flavour for what was seen.  These were taken between 20:58 and 23:48 with a Canon 400D and a 28mm lens at f2.8 at ISO 800.  Exposures were all about 30 secs.

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Many reports are coming in of a bright fireball, visible at about 21:40 UT on Saturday, 3rd March 2012. That night the skies were exceptionally clear over large parts of the UK, and many people had been out observing the nice display of the Moon and planets visible that evening.

Gerard Gilligan of Liverpool AS reported that about 20-30 members who were still at the site of the March Wirral Star Party witnessed the magnificent fireball, which rounded off their very busy and successful evening in spectacular fashion.

Sightings have so far been received over a wide area extending from Scotland down through the Lake District to Merseyside. Many eyewitnesses have reported that the fireball was clearly fragmenting towards the end of the track. Observations of this fireball from locations on the eastern side of the Pennines would be particulary useful.

Any BAA members who saw this event, or who may have been contacted by non-astronomers who witnessed it, are asked to collect as much information about the sighting as possible and send it either to the BAA Meteor Section’s Fireball Co-ordinator Len Entwisle at len.entwisle@btinternet.com or to meteor@britastro.org.

Useful information will include the name and location of the observer, the precise time of the event, the altitude and azimuth of the start and end points of the visible track, the position of the observed track against the background stars (or in relation to the waxing gibbous Moon and Mars in the sky, if seen towards the south-east), and a description of the fireball’s visual appearance, colour, etc. together with any unusual features.

It is clear from some of the reports in the national news media that there were other bright meteors visible during the evening of Saturday, 3rd March, but this appeal relates particularly to the event occurring at about 21.40 UT.

This meeting will be held at the Humfrey Rooms, 10 Castillian Terrace, Northampton, NN1 1LD

There has been a slight change to the previously advertised programme as due to illness Martin Lunn is unable to give his talk on dating Cassiopeia A. However David Boyd and Owen Brazell have kindly stepped in at short notice to give talks and the (hopefully) final programme is shown below.

09.30 Coffee
10.00 – 10.45 Welcome and Review of the Year – Stewart Moore
10.45 – 11.30 The Death of Stars – Bob Winter
11.30 – 12.15 The Spectra of Dying Stars – Robin Leadbeater
12.15 – 12.30 Behaviour of Gyulbudaghian’s Nebula and PV Cep – David Boyd
12.30 – 12.45 New Planetary Nebulae – Owen Brazell

12.45 Buffet Lunch

14.30 – 15.15 Building and Using a Large Dobsonian – Andrew Robertson
15.15 – 16.00 Observing from New Mexico Skies – Chris Longthorn

16.00 Tea

16.30 – 17.30 Cosmic Genesis – a Unique View of the Birth of a Neutron Star – Dr Matthew Malek (Imperial College)
17.30 Meeting round up – Stewart Moore

Everyone welcome. Entrance £10 (to include buffet lunch) payable at the door.

No need to book in advance. All talks subject to possible change.

Exhibition of deep sky material by Section members is encouraged (bring your own display boards).

The BAA and Webb Deep Sky Society hope to have sales stands at the meeting.

Jupiter and Moons in 2007 - image by Chris Newsome

As Jupiter is now high in the evening sky, you may like to look at some recent maps of the planet which we have posted on the BAA Jupiter Section web site, to illustrate the interesting features and events over this apparition.  Some were compiled by individual observers from their own images; the others were compiled by Marco Vedovato of the JUPOS team from images by many observers.

You can see the full picture here:

www.britastro.org/jupiter/2011report03.htm

Also, we have posted maps of the Galilean moons, from spacecraft, with the major features labelled.  The best amateur images can now record a few of these features (see our 2011 report  no.2 for superb examples)!  Thanks to Bjorn Jonsson and to the USGS for the base maps.

You can see the maps here:

www.britastro.org/jupiter/moonmaps.htm

Jupiter is still high enough for good observations, which the BAA will be happy to receive.  And even naked-eye observers can enjoy the view of the planet in the evening twilight, especially as it will be alongside Venus for several days around March 15.

Over the next few nights comet C/2009 P1 Garradd will pass close by the globular cluster M92, in Hercules, and this will make for an interesting observing opportunity.

Comet 2009 P1 Garrad on 31st January 2012 by Martin Mobberley

Stewart Moore, the BAA Deep Sky Section Director writes:

Although not a spectacular comet with a majestic tail, C/2009 P1 (Garradd) has endeared itself to many observers by visiting bright deep sky objects on its journey through the heavens.  In late August 2011 it visited the globular cluster M71 and in early September of the same year it made a close approach to the Coathanger asterism.  Now visible in the morning sky, Garradd continues its friendship with deep sky objects by making a close approach to another globular cluster, this time M92 in Hercules.

On February 3/4 it passes within 0.5 degree west of M92, making an ideal photo opportunity. The coordinates of M92 are RA 17h 17m.1 and Dec +43deg 08min.  M92 has a visual magnitude of 6.5 and a diameter of 14 arcmin.  Details and an ephemeris for the comet, which has a predicted magnitude of 6.5, can be downloaded from the Comet Section web page and are also available in the latest BAA paper circular No. 826 dated 2012 January 18.

With the Moon setting just after 04:00 on Feb. 3, M92 and the comet will be found at an altitude of around 40 degree in the east.  Please send all observations to both the Deep Sky Section and the Comet Section.

As part of our near-term strategy to significantly increase the BAA’s online presence, Council has decided to ask for expressions of interest from a suitably qualified person to take up a freelance web designer role. This person would be responsible for a radical overhaul of the Association’s website using open-source tools, the management and maintenance of our online presence and the commissioning and management of content.

Council envisages offering a 3-year contract, reviewed annually for a fee in the region of £12-14K per year. We would expect the necessary commitment to average around 15-20 hours per week although workload will be variable.

The successful applicant will have a large amount of autonomy to work towards the goals set by Council and we would expect this activity to start sometime in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Membership of the BAA is not essential but a good knowledge of amateur astronomy, the Association and its objectives will be expected.

To express an interest in this exciting opportunity and to receive further details please send an e-mail to webdesign@britastro.org before Friday, 10th February.

One of John's images from the M/S Midnatsol on January 24/25

The Sun has been very active this past week and John Mason, who is currently in Norway, reports that spectacular aurorae have been seen over the last few days. The images here were taken on the night of January 24/45. John writes:

I took a total of 508 images that night using a Canon EOS 450D with 10 mm
f/2.8 Sigma fish-eye.  All images were at 1600 ISO with exposure times
ranging from 1s to 15s during the night, depending on the brightness of
the auroral structures being imaged and the steadiness of the ship at the
time. During the most active part of the display exposures ranged from 1s
to 6s.

During the auroral display, I was observing from the aft of deck 9 on the
Hurtigruten ship M/S Midnatsol, which was sailing roughly northwards from
Tromsø to Oksfjord, via Skjervøy at the time.

There are more of John’s spectacular images below and John even made the Washington Post.

Jan 24/25 1824UT.

Jan 24/25 2012UT

Jan 24/25 2331UT

BAA member Nick James was able to respond to an urgent request for observations of the newly discovered near earth asteroid 2012 BX34.

He was able to image the asteroid last night (January 26th) from Chelmsford, one day before its closest approach at around 15:30UT today.

Image of asteroid 2012 BX34 by Nick James

Nick writes:

Following an alert from ARPS director Richard Miles I observed this very small Near Earth Asteroid last night from Chelmsford. The asteroid had only been discovered the night before and is due to come within 0.2 lunar distance of the centre of the Earth at around 15:30 UTC today. It is probably only 4-5m across.

Observations using the Goldstone Solar System Radar were scheduled for this morning and so an urgent request went out for astrometry of this object to help refine the orbit. The attached image shows one of my observations. The asteroid was moving so fast (around 30 arcsec/min) that I had to take short exposures but it was relatively faint (around mag 17) so they needed to be stacked. This stack consists of 36 frames offset at the expected rate of the object. It is visible as a dot and the background stars are the trails. The gap was caused by a short break to take a couple of dark frames.

You can also read more about this asteroid on the BBC News website.

Comet Lovejoy survived it’s encounter with the Sun, and is now putting on fine display in the southern hemisphere. This video was made by Australian amateur astronomer Colin Legg.

Comet Lovejoy (2011 W3) rising over Western Australia from Colin Legg on Vimeo.

The BAA’s Denis Buczynski writes:

The ground based discovery of this Kreutz group sungrazer by Australian amateur Terry Lovejoy on 2011 November 27 has been followed closely by comet enthusiasts around the world as it headed towards perihelion passage on December 16. The spectacular views of the comet arrived at our computer screens via a medley of solar monitoring spacecraft. The comet survived its perihelion passage and has now begun its retreat from the Sun. There were some predictions, by comet experts, that the comet would disintegrate, as had been the case with many other sungrazers. Astonishing images were received showing the comet being disrupted during its close approach to the solar surface, losing it tail in the process. However the comet then appeared to brighten and another tail emerged from the brilliant cometary head. The link below will allow the reader to follow the development of the comet via the space imagery.

remanzacco.blogspot.com

As the solar elongation grew the possibility of seeing a daylight comet increased. A comparison with the brilliant sungrazer C/1965 S1 Ikeya-Seki seen in daylight in 1965 is being made. The following link shows that daylight imaging has been achieved (extreme care must be taken during this type of imaging) with remarkably simple equipment and techniques:

www.astrosurf.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/032557.html

Observers in the southern hemisphere are now beginning to see the comet rising in the early morning dawn sky. What the future developments are for this remarkable comet will be seen in images and observations made during the next few weeks. The link below shows a video of the comet and moon rising from a dark sky site in Western Australia made by Colin Legg .

vimeo.com/34007626

Splendid aurora observed on 15th March