Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 5492: URANUS; 1992O; N Cyg 1992
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Circular No. 5492
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, MS 18
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)
TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM EASYLINK 62794505
MARSDEN@CFA or GREEN@CFA (.SPAN, .BITNET or .HARVARD.EDU)
URANUS
L. M. Trafton, University of Texas; T. R. Geballe, U.K. Infrared
Telescope; and S. Miller, University College, London, report the
discovery of H3+ in Uranus. The observations were made during a 2-hr
interval around Apr. 1.6 UT with the CGS4 spectrometer on the UKIRT
telescope, the strongest lines being detected after 4 min of
integration. In total, eleven lines of the H3+ fundamental band
between 3.90 and 4.07 microns, primarily from the Q branch, were
detected in emission with signal-to-noise ratios better than 5. Peak
signal-to-noise was 20 and occurred for the Q(3) blend at 3.987
microns. The flux in this line was about 9 x 10**-17 W m-2 in a 3"
aperture centered on the planet. Uranus is the second planet for
which H3+ line emission has been detected, following the original
detection in Jupiter in 1988.
SUPERNOVA 1992O IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
M. Turatto, Padua Observatory, reports observations of SN 1992O
obtained at La Silla on Apr. 8.3 UT with the ESO/MPI 2.2-m telescope
equipped with EFOSC2. Preliminary analysis of a low-resolution
spectrum (range 450-840 nm) shows the presence of broad emissions
measured at 480, 515, 574, 609 and 675 nm. The general appearance of
the spectrum resembles that of typical Ia supernovae (e.g., SN 1989B)
about 6-8 weeks past maximum. The spectrum of the parent galaxy does
not show prominent emission lines, and the redshift z about 0.04 has
been estimated from the Mg I and Na I absorptions. Photometric
measurements obtained with the same equipment give for the supernova
the magnitude and colors V = 19.6, B-V = +1.1, V-R = +0.5.
NOVA CYGNI 1992
J.-j. Wang, Beijing Astronomical Observatory, e-mails the
following JHK magnitudes, obtained using the 1.26-m infrared telescope
with InSb detector at the Xinglong station: Mar. 31.882 UT, J = 5.43
+/- 0.10, H = 5.53 +/- 0.10, K = 5.14 +/- 0.10; Apr. 1.837, 5.87 +/-
0.02, 5.93 +/- 0.03, 5.50 +/- 0.04; 2.881, 5.76 +/- 0.15, 5.81 +/-
0.15, 5.41 +/- 0.10.
Visual magnitude estimates by P. Schmeer, Bischmisheim, Germany:
Apr. 2.00 UT, 7.1; 5.97, 7.1; 7.03, 7.2; 8.07, 7.3; 9.00, 7.3.
1992 April 9 (5492) Brian G. Marsden
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