Circular No. 8091
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html  ISSN 0081-0304
Phone 617-495-7440/7244/7444 (for emergency use only)


SUPERNOVA 2003bt
     Further to IAUC 8090, M. Schwartz and P. R. Holvorcem report
the LOTOSS (cf. IAUC 7906) discovery of a supernova (mag 16.7) on
unfiltered Tenagra II CCD images taken on Mar. 9.3 and 10.3 UT.  SN
2003bt is located at R.A. = 10h55m22s.48, Decl. = -7 39'12".3
(equinox 2000.0), which is 11".9 west and 0".1 south of the host
galaxy's nucleus.  An image taken on Feb. 2.4 showed nothing at
this position (limiting mag about 18.5).  T. Matheson, P. Challis,
and R. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
report that a spectrum (range 370-750 nm) of SN 2003bt, obtained
by M. Calkins on Mar. 11.25 UT with the Mt. Hopkins 1.5-m telescope
(+ FAST spectrograph), shows it to be a type-Ia supernova, about 2
weeks past maximum.


SUPERNOVAE 2003bm, 2003bp, AND 2003br
     Matheson et al. also write that a spectrum of SN 2003bm (cf.
IAUC 8086), obtained as above by P. Berlind on Mar. 7.21 UT, shows
it to be a type-Ic supernova.  A spectrum of SN 2003bp (cf. IAUC
8089), obtained by Calkins on Mar. 10.23, shows it to be a type-Ib
supernova.  The helium features are relatively weak.  This may be a
transitional object between types Ib and Ic.  A spectrum (range
370-750 nm) of SN 2003br (cf. IAUC 8090), obtained by Calkins on
Mar. 11.47, shows it to be a type-II supernova.
     P. Nugent and D. A. Howell, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, report that a spectrum (range 360-900 nm) of SN
2003bp, obtained on Mar. 8.22 UT with the Kitt Peak 2.1-m reflector
(+ GCAM), shows it to be an early type-Ib supernova, consistent
with the photometry (cf. IAUC 8089).  SN 2003bp clearly shows He I
lines at 587.6, 667.8 and 706.5 nm.  The He I lines are somewhat
weaker than those of SNe 1998dt and 1999dn (see Matheson et al.
2001, A.J. 121, 1648).


CATALOGUE OF COMETARY ORBITS 2003
     A new edition of the Catalogue of Cometary Orbits, with
entries complete through February, is now available.  The 169-page
Catalogue sells for 40.00 (60.00 for airmail delivery outside North
America).  There is also an e-mail edition (with just the basic
orbital information) for 75.00.  Orders should be sent to Mailstop
18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA  02138,
U.S.A., by FAX to +1-617-495-7231 or by e-mail to
mlohmiller@cfa.harvard.edu.  Payment can be by credit card or by
check made payable to Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

                      (C) Copyright 2003 CBAT
2003 March 11                  (8091)            Daniel W. E. Green