Thanks, Jay. Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 11, 2015, at 8:59 AM, Jay inUT <jayleads@gmail.com> wrote:
Just thought I'd share in case those hunting for a SN are interested in setting their scope to scan this area. In M31 which has not had a visible SN since 1885 in SN 1885A there is a reoccurring Nova that is a confirmed Red Supergiant feeding material unto a White Dwarf that is aproachging the 1.44 mass limit before going into a Type Ia. The reoccurring Nova, M31N 2008-12a is located at RA = 00:43:26.66 Dec = +41:23:30.8 in M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. M31N 2008-12a has erupted in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. Here are some articles if anyone is interested:
https://www.ras.org.uk/news-and-press/2663-erupting-every-year-and-on-the-br...
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=6374
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1401.2905v2.pdf
The Nova seems to peak around limiting magnitude 18.2 or 18.3 and goes up to LM 20 to 22. A very faint object. However, when it goes as a Type Ia it should be MUCH brighter than that. So if your scope wants to and can scan that low you can take a look a perhaps capture the next SN to be seen in M31 . . . or not as it could be close in astronomical terms but not so close in terms of a human lifespan. Still, a good place to go and watch to increase your odds. I will post more on a blog post later today or tomorrow about it, and where roughly, visually this object is located in case a visual observer wants to just get to know the star field around that area and watch for a bright object to boost up. Robert Evans in Australia btw has 42 confirmed visual supernova finds so a visual person can learn to hunt SN's and find them, just a lot harder .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Evans_(astronomer)
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/supernova-champ-makes-40th-fin...
http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/15/kastner2.php
Older article: http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/guest/evans/
Oh btw, I will post later on what I am doing and I know that SLAS has outreach at SPOC but we are at the New Moon Window this weekend so either tonight or tomorrow night I am heading out. We'll see as tonight is clear but the winds are blowing 10 to 20mph and I don't like the wind. It may be tomorrow night (people clear out then also). If your interested I will post where but most likely this weekend is Vernon. I may try for Wolf Creek later in the week, but will post if I do that.
-- Thanks!
Jay _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy
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