The Asiago catalog says Patchick discovered 87L and that the Bmax was about July 20. The July 20 for Bmax was probably based on Alex's original estimate in IAUC 4446, but Alex later must have revised this to July 29. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 4441) Circular No. 4441 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 SUPERNOVA 1987L IN NGC 2336 A telex received on Aug. 17 from J. Bryan, Georgetown, Texas, reported his apparent confirmation that morning (at mv = 14.5) of a possible supernova found in NGC 2336 (R.A. = 7h16m.2, Decl. = +80 20', equinox 1950.0) by Dana Patchick, Malibu, California. On Aug. 16 Patchick had noted a star of mv = 14.2 loctated 40" east and 75" south of the galaxy's nucleus. He had also suspected an object in the same location at mv = 13.5 on July 27 in the dawn sky but had not been able immediately to confirm its reality. Following further requests for confirmation A. V. Filippenko (who was not informed of the discovery until late on Aug. 20), University of California at Berkeley, reports that a spectrum (range 394-830 nm, resolution 1.4 nm) obtained on Aug. 21 UT by M. A. Strauss with the 3-m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory shows that SN 1987L is a Type II object, probably 1-2 months past maximum brightness. Very strong, broad (FWHM < 11 000 km/s) H alpha emission is visible, together with blueshifted absorption. Other P- Cygni profiles, such as those of H beta and He I/Na D 589 nm, are also present. The supernova is located in a spiral arm. 1987 August 22 (4441) Brian G. Marsden %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 4443) Circular No. 4443 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 CORRIGENDA IAUC 4441, Supernova 1987L in NGC 2336, line 4 from end, for Very strong read strong; for FWHM < 11 000 read FWHM about 11 000 1987 August 25 (4443) Brian G. Marsden %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 4445) Circular No. 4445 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 SUPERNOVA 1987L IN NGC 2336 G. Hurst, Basingstoke, England, communicates the following precise position, obtained by A. Young, Burwash, on Aug. 27.95 UT: R.A. = 7h18m40s.29, Decl. = +80 15'34".4 (equinox 1950.0; only 3 SAOC reference stars). He adds that the supernova was accidentally recorded visually at mag about 14 by S. Lubbock, Bridgend, Wales, while preparing a chart for the U.K. nova/supernova patrol on Aug 3.99 UT. C. Dahn, U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, reports that a CCD observation by C. Luginbuhl with the 1.55-m astrometric reflector on Aug. 29 gave the offsets of the SN from the galaxy's center as 59" east, 70" south. Visual magnitude estimates: Aug. 23.1 UT, 14.5 (S. Lucas, Midlothian, IL); 30.12, 14.7 (Lucas); Sept. 2.47, 15.1 (A. Hale, Las Cruces, NM). Corrigendum. On IAUC 4441, line 5, for mv = 14.2 loctated read mpg = 14.2 located 1987 September 3 (4445) Brian G. Marsden %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 4446) Circular No. 4446 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 SUPERNOVA 1987L IN NGC 2336 A. V. Filippenko and M. A. Strauss, University of California at Berkeley, report: "SN 1987L is of type Ia, rather than type II (cf. IAUC 4441). The initial classification was based on a cursory examination of an uncalibrated spectrum obtained on Aug. 21, shortly before the information was transmitted to the Central Bureau. Strong emission and absorption blends near the wavelengths of H alpha, H beta and He I/Na D 589 nm were the cause of the error. The calibrated spectrum closely resembles those of other type Ia supernovae roughly 1 month past maximum brightness." (1 month past maximum on Aug. 21 which means Alex's initial estimate for Bmax must have been about July 22. However, other spectra or light curves must have convinced him that July 29 was more likely. The change is evident in Ruiz-Lapuente~\etal 1993's Nature letter.) 1987 September 4 (4446) Brian G. Marsden %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 4447) Circular No. 4447 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 SUPERNOVA 1987L IN NGC 2336 J. R. Graham, California Institute of Technology, reports that a spectrum obtained with the Palomar 5-m reflector on Sept. 3 by C. Beichman and G. Neugebauer confirms (cf. IAUC 4446) that this is a type Ia supernova a month or so from maximum. The measured offset from the nucleus is 59" east, 70" south. 1987 September 8 (4447) Brian G. Marsden