Tom Boles 100 (supernova) not out

[Whitters]

I don't usualy post from this as it is a subscription service, but 100 supernova is quite a record, I don't think that even the Yanks have managed 100 discoveries by one person.
Whitters



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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2215      2006 Apr 05 09.53UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst,

WORLD WIDE WEB                         http://www.theastronomer.org
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SUPERNOVA 2006bk IN MCG +06-33-20: 100th SUPERNOVA FOR TOM BOLES
On 2006 April 4, we received an e-mail from Tom Boles of Coddenham,
England reporting his detection of an apparent supernova in MCG
+06-33-20 during the course of searches for the UK Nova/Supernova
Patrol.

The object, of magnitude 16.9, had been recorded on ten images secured
on a single night centred on 2006 April 3.985UT using a 0.35-m
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and unfiltered CCD. The position of the new
object was measured as:

RA 15h 04m 33.61s DEC +35 57' 51.1" (2000), which is approximately 10.6"
E and 3.3" S of the centre of the host galaxy.

The suspect is not present on Tom's images of 2005 Sept. 4 or 2006 Jan
28 (limiting mag 19.5) and it is not recorded on DSS II red (1994.338
limiting mag 20.5) nor blue plates (1998.209 limiting mag 21.0 or on the
SDSS image).

A further e-mail received this morning (April 5) advised that Tom had
acquired a confirmation image of the apparent supernova on April 4.933UT
with end figures for the second night of RA 33.64s and DEC 51.1". The
magnitude was similar to that on the discovery images.

Although no IAUC has yet been issued, a preliminary announcement has
been made on CBET 462 and the object designated 2006bk.

This is the 100th supernova found by Tom Boles in a remarkable effort
for the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol which he joined on 1996 November 30.

His first discovery was of SN 1997dn in NGC3451 recorded on 1997 October
29 (see The Astronomer E-Circular 1246), illustrating the time to
achieve the 100 discovery successes has been remarkably short. No doubt
Tom had been inspired by earlier discoveries by patrol members and, in
particular, the first found from the UK by Mark Armstrong in 1996 (SN
1996bo). However to keep the necessary motivation to achieve 100
discoveries requires a very dedicated and special effort, especially
given the bad weather often experienced in the UK and in particular over
the second half of March when most observers went through a long series
of cloudy nights.

We offer our sincere congratulations to Tom and trust this amazing
record will inspire others to join the effort.

Guy M Hurst