Electronic Telegram No. 2629 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION CBAT Director: Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University; 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA 02138; U.S.A. e-mail: cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org) URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network TRANSIENT OBJECTS CONFIRMATION PAGE The Central Bureau has established a "Transient Objects Confirmation Page" (TOCP), activated on 2011 January 1, to replace the former "Unconfirmed- Objects" webpage (http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/cbat_unconf.html) that the CBAT has run quite successfully since 2003, and which was updated manually by CBAT staff members. In contrast, this new webpage is designed to be updated automatically both by astronomers worldwide who are registered (via the CBAT) to do so and (when necessary) manually by CBAT staff. The TOCP addresses a strong desire in the astronomical community for immediate posting of interesting new transient objects, to solicit confirming observations (and thus to provide a place to post confirming observations, and to help prevent potentially unnecessary observations at multiple observatories). The TOCP is designed for use with stationary, extra-solar-system objects only. Data will be postable to the TOCP directly only by registered users, who can access RSS feeds and/or receive e-mails of new postings. There is no subscription charge for access (or posting) to the TOCP. The website URL for the new TOCP is http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp.html. Once items are posted on the TOCP, they will be available as RSS feeds -- as has been the case since 2009 for CBETs and IAUCs. The discovery reports posted on the TOCP will be sent automatically in standard XML format to the VOEvent system. The Central Bureau assigns formal IAU designations to various objects, both within and outside the solar system. For decades now, the CBAT has assigned year-and-letter supernova designations to objects that are observed to be near extragalactic galaxies on two or more nights, even without spectroscopic confirmation -- while the formal GCVS designation of Milky-Way novae is not given until such objects are spectroscopically confirmed. With the introduction of the TOCP, the Central Bureau will move immediately toward the Milky-Way-nova model of designating supernovae, in which final year-and- letter designation will not be issued until spectroscopic confirmation is made for any given object. For novae, supernovae, and other "new" variables, the TOCP will automatically assign provisional designations based on position, of the form TCP Jhhmmssss+ddmmsss (giving R.A. to 0s.01 and Decl. to 0".1 with no decimal points), where a three-letter prefix will be used to denote type of object (PSN = possible supernova; PNV = possible nova; TCP = unknown type of variable). Additional information is given at the following website URL: http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp_help.html. Once spectroscopic confirmation is reported, a final designation will be announced by the Central Bureau both via the TOCP and via CBET or IAUC, and a cross-reference list (of provisional vs. final designations) is being maintained to aid users at URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp_old.html. In order to post a discovery or follow-up observation to the TOCP, a user must be registered with the Central Bureau. The CBAT is starting with a working list of several dozen registered users, compiled from contributors who have sent multiple discovery or follow-up reports to the Central Bureau in the past year. Additional registrants can contact the Bureau to be added to the list, by sending an e-mail request to cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu. All can access the TOCP RSS feed at http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/tocp.xml (requests to receive TOCP postings by e-mail should be sent also as an e-mail request to cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu; this will not be done automatically unless a request is made to do so by a specific registrant). Of course, the TOCP and its RSS feeds will be freely available to both registrants and non-registrants. There will be two types of formats for reporting observations: a discovery-observation format and a follow-up-observation format. The discovery format requires that certain data be provided in order for automatic posting, whereas the follow-up format is a "comment" format with more flexibility. There are two automatic ways in which registered astronomers can add their observations to this webpage in a standard format: (1) by sending data via e-mail to cbattcp@eps.harvard.edu in a strict column-by-column format (described at the TOCP webpage) or (2) by filling out a form at the TOCP website. There are automatic computer checks to determine whether information is provided in proper columns; follow the instructions carefully to ensure proper posting. Follow-up observations should be reported using the provisional positional designation posted at the TOCP for a given object. While the contributed TOCP discovery lines have a specific column-by-column format, the contributed follow-up-data lines are "free form" beyond column 42 (i.e., after the proper inclusion of the provisional positional designation and the UT date). To post one or more lines to the TOCP in an e-mail message, the sender must type either "TOCP discovery observation" or "TOCP follow-up observation" on the subject line for proper posting. Alternatively, reports sent outside of these two standard procedures (e.g., to cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu) will be reviewed, and posted (sometimes necessarily with a delay) on the TOCP, by the CBAT staff -- as has always been the case in the past; numerous discovery reports from the last couple of weeks have been so posted by the CBAT staff on the TOCP during final testing of the website mechanics. Note that all contributors to this TOCP should also send a separate e-mail with details in textual form to cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu, as such details will be used in any announcement CBET or IAUC later. Announcement of extra-solar- system transients on CBETs and IAUCs will generally be reserved for objects with spectroscopic confirmation (and thus the site where "final" designations are given, as is the case now) or for brighter objects that are being heavily observed. The CBAT will only occasionally publish reports on CBETs or IAUCs of objects discovered and observed on a single night without spectroscopic confirmation. Sometimes reports are received of such objects that contain observations on only a single night (or sometimes more than one night), needing confirmation before formal announcement and designation on IAUCs or CBETs -- but where the observer does not want his/her observation(s) posted prior to confirmation; as in the past, such reports can be sent to the CBAT at e-mail address cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu -- which is also the e-mail address to use for non-TOCP reports in textual form. The TOCP was created following extensive discussions with observers, both professional and amateur. It will necessarily evolve over time to address additional needs of the astronomical community. Users who experience problems with posting on the TOCP should (after verifying that they carefully followed instructions at the TOCP webpages) contact the Bureau with details. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2011 CBAT 2011 January 10 (CBET 2629) Daniel W. E. Green