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IAUC 6418: 1996af, 1996ag; PKS 0405-385; C/1996 J1

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                                                  Circular No. 6418
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
BMARSDEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or DGREEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
Phone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)


SUPERNOVAE 1996af AND 1996ag IN ANONYMOUS GALAXIES
     The Mount Stromlo Abell Cluster Supernova Search Team [L.
Germany, Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories (MSSSO); D.
Reiss and C. Stubbs, University of Washington; and B. Schmidt,
MSSSO] reports the discovery of two supernovae on CCD images taken
by G. Thorpe on the Mount Stromlo Observatory 1.27-m telescope (+
Macho Camera).  SN 1996af is located at R.A. = 22h28m31s.13, Decl.
= -68o58'33".0 (equinox 2000.0), which is 0".7 west and 0".3 south
of the center of a galaxy situated near Abell 3879; a nearby star
has position end figures 44s.02, 01".2.  SN 1996af is visible on V
and R CCD images taken on June 12 and 15 at mag about 19.5 and was
not detected to mag 21 on similar frames taken on May 16.  SN
1996ag is at R.A. = 21h46m50s.47, Decl. = -43o41'50".4, which is
1".7 east and 0".4 south of a galaxy situated near Abell 3879; a
nearby star has position end figures 45s.09, 43".9.  SN 1996ag is
visible on V and R CCD images taken on June 12 and 15 at mag about
20.5 and was not detected to mag 20.5 on similar frames obtained on
May 22.


PKS 0405-385
     L. Kedziora-Chudczer, University of Sydney; D. Jauncey, M.
Wieringa, J. Reynolds, and A. Tzioumis, Australia Telescope
National Facility; and G. Nicholson, Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy
Observatory, communicate:  "Five days of monitoring of PKS 0405-385
with the Australia Telescope Compact Array between June 7.16 and
11.91 UT revealed rapid, quasiperiodic, quasisinusoidal flux-
density variations of large amplitude at 3, 6, 13, and 20 cm.  The
variations are largest and most rapid at 3 and 6 cm, with changes
of up to 1 Jy (from 1.6 to 2.6 Jy at 3 cm) in < 1 hr.  At 13 cm,
the changes are less rapid (up to 0.4 Jy in 8 hr); at 20 cm, up to
0.2 Jy in 12 hr.  Such large-amplitude flux-density variations of
an extragalactic radio source is unprecedented on such short
timescales.  PKS 0405-385 is a quasar of mag 18 at z = 1.285 that
is only weakly polarized (3-percent linear polarization at 6 GHz),
and it has been identified with an EGRET source.  If the observed
flux changes are intrinsic to the source, they indicate a
brightness temperature above 10E20 K -- some eight orders of
magnitude above the inverse-Compton limit for incoherent
synchrotron emission."


COMET C/1996 J1 (EVANS-DRINKWATER)
     Visual m1 estimates by C. S. Morris, Lockwood Valley, CA
(0.51-m reflector):  June 8.19 UT, 13.4; 9.19, 13.4; 15.20, 13.4;
16.21, 13.4.

                      (C) Copyright 1996 CBAT
1996 June 17                   (6418)            Daniel W. E. Green

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