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| NEWS |
| May 5, 2006. Tenagra Observatories is altering
its business model for the 2006-2007 observing season. |
Tenagra Observatories is
offering “shares” for observing time on its 32” fully automated Ritchey located
in the high Sonoran desert in Arizona not far from Mt. Hopkins and Kitt Peak.
This f/7 Ritchey is the only
one of its kind and has been offering professional observing with 97% up time
since 2001. Standard equipment is Custom Scientific UBVRI, H-alpha (wide and
narrow) band photometry, 1K X 1K back illuminated science camera (maintained at
-40oc all year) and the new automated spectrograph (R = 500) that has good S/N
down to about 13th magnitude in a reasonable exposure time.
Imaging field of view is ~15' X 15'.
Getting quality scientific data
has never been easier. All you need to do is submit your observations requests,
imaging or spectroscopy, by 22:00UT and our system handles the rest. You pick
up raw and calibration images the next morning via our FTP server or real-time
downloading during the observing night. All observations are unattended and you
get maximum amounts of data because of the high efficiency of our scheduling
system.
A single 50% share has been
sold to one university. We are looking for another 50% shareholder ($50,000) or
two, 25% shareholders ($25,000 each). A 50% shareholder will get 2 nights out
of four. Each 25% holder gets one night out of four.
Contact Michael
Schwartz at mbs@tenagraobservatories.com for more information. |
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May 1, 2006. The Tenagra fully automated
spectrograph is now online. Tenagra clients who wish to use the
spectrograph should contact Michael Schwartz at mbs@tenagraobservatories.com.
Click here if you want an in-depth description of how
to request spectra. |
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| September 15, 2005. The new and expanded Tenagra
Team. |
Tenagra Observatories is expanding.
Stations have been opened in Western Australia and Norway.
The Australian site (Paul Luckas) will finally give us access to the southern skies. The
Norwegian site (Odd Trondal) will give us great northern coverage during the very long winter
nights. Both sites are non-commercial and will spend virtually all
observing time on supernova search and GRB follow-up. |
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| March 19, 2004. Two objects within 10 degrees of each other in the sky:
the farthest member of the solar system and the closest (at least temporarily)! |
Below we see newly announced planetoid Sedna imaged with
the Tenagra II telescope with each frame separated by 1 day. Sedna was
moving at 0.008 deg/day at position angle 63 degrees. The magnitude is 20.8
(unfiltered). Distance from earth was 90.1 AU. This is a truly
monumental discovery by Mike Brown at CalTech and his co-investigators. It
literally redefines the nature of the outer solar system. |
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This is a still image of 2004 FH. It is a 4-sec exposure taken on
March 19.1 UT. This 100 foot object was at about 120,000 km from Earth
(within the orbit of the moon), moving away from earth at 120 deg/day with
respect to the stars, quickly fading and going into solar conjunction. It
is estimated that many more of these (and larger) bodies pass very close to the
earth and are never detected. |
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| March 15, 2004. Tenaga Chosen
To Verify Sedna. |
When Dr. Michael Brown and NASA needed
confirmation of Sedna guess who they came to for verification?
Tenagra Observatories. The MPEC (list of observations announcing the discovery)
shows that the Tenagra II 32" (0.81-m) telescope at Station 926 (Tenagra in
S. Arizona) produced the second set of measurements of the object that will
forever change our idea of the solar system. We congratulate Michael Brown
and his collaborators on the most astounding discovery in the outer solar system
since Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930. We thank them for their trust
and patronage. It is an honor to be a footnote in the history of unveiling
of the new outer solar system. We expect to continue to recover lost
objects and confirm discoveries for CalTech and many other professional
installations. Thank you for your confidence in Tenagra.
For full information about Sedna, please see Dr.
Michael Brown's Caltech page on www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/sedna
The official published measurements and brightness estimations of Sedna are
available on http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/mpec/K04/K04E45.html
In addition, the object has been given a technical designation of 2003 VB12. |
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June 12,
2003. One of the world's busiest telescopes? Certainly yes.
Between January, 2003 and mid-May, 2003 the Tenagra II telescope has: |
94 Active Nights
55,427 Telescope Slews
54,231 Exposures
2,956 Flat Fields
231 Darks
50,511 Science Images
1,878 Automated Filter Changes You can more than double these numbers for the total
Arizona observing season, from about mid September to end of June. |
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| June 10,
2003. We take pride in the
fact that Tenagra gathers many, many kinds of astronomical data and is setting
the standard for the ultimate automated telescopes. Here is an overview of
some of the NEO work done at
Tenagra. |
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NEO Confirmations Since April, 2003
(* = confirmed only by Tenagra)
C/2003 J1 2003 JD17 2003 JC17 2003 JP14 2003 JO14
2003 JN14 2003 JF13* 2003 JC13
2003 JD11 2003 JC11 2003 JY2 2003 JX2
P/2003 H4 2003 HU42* 2003 HT42 2003
HS42 C/2003 H3 2003 HR32
2003 HQ32 2003 HP32 2003 HN16
2003 HM16 2003 HB6 2003 HG2
2003 HF2 C/2003 H2 C/2003 H1
2003 HN 2003 HM 2003 HB
2003 HA C/2003 G2 2003 GD42 *
2003 GB34 C/2003 G1 2003 GS22*
2003 GR22* 2003 GQ22 2003 GJ21
2003 GG21 2003 GF21 2003 GY
2003 GX 2003 GW 2003 GS
2003 GR 2003 GJ C/2003 L1
2003 LS3 2003 LW2 2003 KK20
2003 LH 2003 LG 2003 KZ18
2003 KN18 C/2003 K4 C/2003 K2 C/2003 K1
2003 KV2 2003 KU2 2003 KP2
2003 KO2 |
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Recoveries
Minor
Planets get lost, especially ones with odd orbits. It takes an expert to
find them. As an example, our most active month was May of this year
with five recoveries: 2001 BJ16 2000 UN30
2002 JN97 2002 OA22 2002 MQ3. Another
important recovery this season
was 2002 EZ16. The one is known (within Tenagra) as "Tholen's Object". Dr. David Tholen is a professor
at U. of Hawaii who issued a challenge to the world for the recovery of
this object. All the calculations were programmed on the Tenagra II
scope to perform the mosaics and recover it. As a result and witnessed by
others at the AAS Meeting in Seattle, Dave Tholen owes
Michael a dinner. A mosaic
of 40 Tenagra II 15' X 15' fields were taken to capture this elusive target. |
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Other Tenagra Observational Statistics of Interest
Total NEO observations since 2002 Sept. 20: 2,748
Total published asteroid and comet observations since 2002 Sept. 20:
~7,700
MP Discoveries: 141
Note: These discoveries only include those for which
Tenagra got the designation. Included in the above numbers is some
observations with the Tenagra I 14" telescope at station 848. It is most important to note that the above results were obtained using up to ONLY 1 HOUR of Tenagra II telescope time per night.
In a typical full night of MP searching near the ecliptic
about 80 objects are detected with about half of them being unknown main belt
objects. It is impossible for us to try to gain designations for all
asteroids. If we were to return the next night and recover the 40 or so new
main belt asteroids we would find 40 or so more. And on and on leaving no
Tenagra time for other research projects.
And last but not least is TENAGRA AUSTRALUS. We were unable to find
a vendor who could guarantee the building of a large automated structure.
We are currently looking into sites in S. America. |
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| June 1, 2003. We are
very proud that Tenagra has been part of a quiet revolution. |
Our
sales of research telescope time this first observing season have exceeded our
expectations. And with the new 24" f10 in September, 2003 we expect to
provide even more quality time and data. We heartily thank this year's
university users which include:
California Institute of Technology
Rose-Hulman Institute
St. Marys College
Wesleyan University
University of North Carolina
Areas of research covered a vast array including GRBs, asteroid rotation curves,
recovery of TNOs and unusual variable stars. This does not include our
supernovae search and MP/Comet activities. |
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| April 22,
2003. Tenagra IV discovers supernova 2003dt. |
This SNe is special
for two reasons. It is the first discovery of the Tenagra IV 14"
telescope! Second, very rarely can two supernovae be seen in one galaxy at
the same time. We are pleased that Tenagra IV is in operation and that it
can relieve Tenagra II from some of its survey tasks. This Tenagra II
image needed to go very deep to see 2002ha. |
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| February 27,
2003. Tenagra II chased GRB030226. |
The universe usually presents
itself at a glacial pace. If you are going to study the dynamics within
the disrupted galaxy M82 you can do it today or tomorrow or next year. The
Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) waits for no one. The source of these objects is
still unknown. But it has been found that some GRBs have optical
counterparts that can decay very rapidly. Catching these objects is
perhaps the most swift move known in observational astronomy. Automated
telescopes such as Tenagra II are very good for observing GRBs because they are
always ready and working when skies are clear. So if a GRB alert comes via
telephone or pager (we sleep while we observe at Tenagra) it is possible to jump
up, interrupt the run and get the GRB within minutes. Unfortunately when
GRB030226 was identified on February 26.23 (UT) it was cloudy at Tenagra.
The initial magnitude of the optical transient (OT) was estimated at R = 18.0.
Within 3.5 hours it had faded to R = 18.4. Despite the bad weather Tenagra
II was able to image the GRB on February 26.3 with a 1.5 hour exposure (18 X
300s) in Ic-band under very bad conditions. Most GRBs fade according to a
standard power law. This one is an exception with a "break", meaning that
this strange object suddenly began to dim at a much faster rate. This
magnificent and challenging type of observational astronomy is
fascinating. The first image below was taken shortly after discovery in
R-band. Star A is R = 15.39. The following is the February 26.35
(mid exposures)
image in Ic-band (very near Infrared) taken with Tenagra II and has faded to about Ic
= 21. |
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| November 28,
2002. Tenagra IV Begins Work. |
The 14" Tenagra IV telescope has
been installed and will soon go to work, mostly minor planet and supernovae
searches. As with the other Tenagra telescopes it is equipped with a SITe
1024X1024 based camera, liquid heat removal, fully automated operation and the
same prescription BVRI filters as used on Tenagra II.. With Tenagra III on
the way, the site in Arizona will soon have its full complement of three
telescopes: Tenagra II 32", Tenagra III 24", Tenagra IV 14", all fully
automated. |
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| November 26,
2002. Luminous Blue Variable or Nova in NGC2403? |
We have detected
the object marked below in NGC2403, a nearby open spiral very much like M33.
This galaxy is close enough to show these variables and novae are quite rare in
galaxies with young star populations. The Lick Observatory 3-m telescope
will attempt a spectrum looking for the emission lines characteristic of a nova.
(The images right below the 'G' marks are ghosts from the bright stars below.) |
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November 19,
2002. Tenagra II goes deeper, faster than any other telescope searching
for an optical counterpart to a GRB. |
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The following is from GRB AAVSO
regard GRB 021113:
M.
Nysewander, D. Reichart (U. North Carolina), and M. Schwartz (Tenagra
Observatories) report on behalf of a larger collaboration:
We observed 100% of the 23 arcmin x 13 arcmin error box, but only 90% of the
revised 26 arcmin x 9 arcmin error box, of GRB 021113 (GCN 1686) with the
32-inch Tenagra II telescope beginning 2.6 hours (GCN 1687) and 22.3 hours after
the burst. For each epoch, we integrated without filter for 1800 seconds per
pointing x two pointings under photometric conditions. Due to more
favorable airmasses, the second epoch observations went deeper.
Calibration images of M67 suggest that unfiltered magnitudes measured with this
CCD best mimic R magnitudes (Henden 2000). Using the image subtraction routine
ISIS2 (Alard 2000), we find no transients to the limiting magnitude of our first
epoch image, which we measure to be R = 21.5 mag (5 sigma), 22.1 mag (3 sigma),
and 23.2 mag (1 sigma) using the following three USNO-A2.0 stars: |
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| RA (hrs) |
DEC (deg) |
R (mag) |
| 23.353 |
40.522 |
13.8 |
| 23.425 |
40.341 |
13.9 |
| 23.342 |
40.483 |
16.7 |
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| This is the deepest non-detection of an optical afterglow within four
hours of a burst. |
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| November 14,
2002. |
Tenagra II performs a RECORD NUMBER of 15 immediate NEO follow-ups
in a single night. Almost every night Near Earth Object (NEO) searching
programs such as NEAT, LINEAR and LONEOS discover potential NEOs, whose
immediate confirmation is requested by the Minor Planet Center through their web
site. On a nightly basis the Tenagra II telescope chases these potential NEOs
to help determine the nature of their orbits.
Objects Still on the NEOCP (as of 2002 Nov. 14, 19:00
UT):
AD25792
AD25789
T9RGD1A
ts209
AD19654
AD17552
AC79946
Objects designated by the MPC on Nov. 14:
T9R92VB = 2002 VD92 (Amor detected at about 1.0 AU from Earth)
AD25495 = 2002 VC92 (Amor detected at about 0.27 AU from Earth)
T9N8VFA = 2002 VB92 (turned out not to be a NEO)
AD17868 = 2002 VA92 (turned out not to be a NEO)
AD19652 = 2002 VZ91 (Apollo detected at about 0.03 AU from Earth)
AD25444 = 2002 VY91 (Apollo detected at about 0.03 AU from Earth)
AD17851 = 2002 VX91 (Aten detected at about 0.05 AU from Earth)
AD17874 = 2002 VW91 (turned out not to be a NEO) |
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| November 13,
2002. |
Tenagra II joins forces with the U. of North Carolina GRB team as the quickest
responder to a GRB. The following is from GRB AAVSO regarding GRB 021113 :
"M. Nysewander, D. Reichart (U. North
Carolina), and M. Schwartz (Tenagra Observatories) report: We observed
100% of the 23 arcmin x 13 arcmin error box, but only 90% of the revised 26
arcmin x 9 arcmin error box, of GRB 021113 (GCN 1686) with the 32-inch Tenagra
II telescope beginning 2.6 hours after the burst. We integrated without filter
for 1800 seconds per pointing x two pointings. Visual comparison with the
DSS2-Red reveals no obvious counterpart to the limiting magnitude of the DSS.
Future observations are planned." |
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| November 9,
2002. |
Tenagra II confirms that a previously discovered asteroid is indeed a comet.
From IAUC Circular No. 8013 "Images taken by P. R. Holvorcem and M.
Schwartz with the Tenagra 0.81-m reflector on Nov. 7.4 and 8.4 show the object
diffuse with a coma diameter of about 8". |
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| November 7 & October 30,
2002. |
Tenagra helps out veteran supernova hunter Tom Boles (England)
verify a couple of supernova. Just because the USA is a breakaway republic is no
reason to not give them a hand:
SUPERNOVA 2002ho IN NGC 4210
T. Boles reports the discovery of another apparent supernova (mag 17.0) on an
unfiltered CCD image taken on Nov. 5.130 UT. The new object is located at R.A.
= 12h15m17s.97, Decl. = +65o58'55".1, which is approximately 12".9 east and
12".2 south of the center of NGC 4210. SN 2002ho was confirmed on a CCD image
taken by M. Schwartz, Cottage Grove, OR, with the 0.82m Tenagra telescope on
Nov. 7.526; Boles measured mag 16.8 and position end figures 18s.01, 54".8 from
Schwartz' image. SN 2002ho is not present on Boles' images from Apr. 3 (limiting
mag 18.5), 13, or May 27, and it is not present on Palomar Sky Survey red and
blue plates.
SUPERNOVA 2002hg IN NGC 3306
T. Boles, Coddenham, England, reports the discovery of an apparent supernova
(mag 17.0) on an unfiltered CCD image taken on Oct. 28.219 UT with a 0.35-m
reflector in the course of the U.K. Nova/Supernova Patrol. The new object is
located at R.A. = 10h37m10s.60, Decl. = +12o39'13".2, which is approximately
6".3 east and 3".8 north of the center of NGC 3306. M. Schwartz, Cottage Grove,
OR, confirmed the new object with the 0.82-m Tenagra telescope on Oct. 30.54 in
morning twilight. Boles measured R = 16.7 and position end figures 10s.60 and
12".8 from Schwartz' image. SN 2002hg is not present on Boles' images from Jan.
16 (limiting mag 18.5), Mar. 2, or Apr. 11, and it is not present on Palomar Sky
Survey red (1993) and blue (1994) plates or on a Quick-V survey plate (1985). |
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| October 25,
2002. |
The light echo around V838 Monoceratus continues to show
elaborate structure. This image is binned 2X2, R-band, 60s exposure. |
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| October 10, 2002. |
The Tenagra II telescope chases the magnificent GRB021004 deeper than 22nd
magnitude in a 10 X 300s R-band exposure. |
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| September 22, 2002. |
Tenagra has its first numbered minor planet
discovery, (48047) 2001DL86. Why don't you help us name it?
Suggestions are most welcome! |
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| September
19,
2002. |
| Requests using the Tenagra II 0.81-m (32") now include the
ability to automatically search for asteroids and comets! |
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| September 10, 2002. |
The minor planet and comet observing campaign
in the summer of 2002 at Tenagra's Oregon site (Tenagra I 0.36-m (14")
telescope) produced 557 observations of NEOs, 620 observations of other minor
planets (many of which located in areas of the sky not often observed by the
surveys and which were not seen after their discovery opposition), and 154
observations of comets. The summer campaign also produced the discovery of 9
minor planets, one of which (2002 QK6) belongs to the Hungaria group (inner main
belt objects with near-circular, moderately inclined orbits). Some of the most
interesting objects which were confirmed and/or followed up during the summer
are listed below:
2002 NY40. This object, which passed less than twice the moon's
distance from Earth in mid-August (reaching mag. 10), was discovered in July by
LINEAR, and confirmed at Tenagra and other stations.
2002 RT. This faint (mag. 18.6), fast moving Apollo object was
followed up in September as it passed some 0.2 AU from Earth.
2002 RP120. This is one of the first few retrograde asteroids to be
discovered, and was confirmed by Tenagra I and followed up in September.
2001 QP153, 2002 EL6. Observations from Tenagra I significantly
extended the arc of these NEOs, making it easier to recover or precover them at
other oppositions. |
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| August 31,
2002. |
Starting September 15, 2002 at the Arizona facility,
Tenagra is selling time on the Tenagra II 0.81-m (32") F7 Ritchey-Chretien.
Available to high end organizations, colleges and universities this is the first
offering of its kind with this size of telescope at a very favorable site. Click here for more information. |
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| August 28, 2002. |
Tenagra I 0.36-m
(14") telescope is cited in IAUC 7960 ("P. R. Holvorcem and M. Schwartz
(0.36-m reflector, Cottage Grove, OR) found C/2002 Q2 to be diffuse with a coma
of diameter about 17" and m_1 = 17.1 on Aug. 27.3, whereas they noted C/2002 Q3
to be 2-2.5 mag fainter with a hint of diffuseness ...") for confirming comets C/2002 Q2 (LINEAR) and C/2002 Q3 (LINEAR).
Q2 on the left, Q3 on the right. August 28, 2002. |
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| March 25, 2002. |
Along with the U.S. Naval Observatory, Tenagra participates in the discovery and
monitoring of the light echo around V838 MONOCEROTIS. From IAUC
7859: "A. Henden, Universities Space Research Association and U.S. Naval
Observatory (USNO); U. Munari, Padova; and M. Schwartz, Tenagra Observatory,
report that an apparent light echo has been discovered developing around V838
Mon on images secured with the USNO Flagstaff Station 1.0-m telescope (scale
0".68/pixel) and confirmed on images obtained with the 0.81-m Tenagra telescope
(0".87/pixel): "The light echo is easily visible in the U bandpass and
progressively less visible at the longer B-, V-, R-, and I-band wavelengths due
to the combined effect of a decreasing surface brightness and increasing output
from the central star...". Tenagra II will continue to monitor this
extremely unusual object. |
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| May 13, 2001. |
Michael Schwartz interviews the founding father of
amateur supernovae hunting, Rev. Robert Evans, at his home in Australia.
Click Here. |
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| January 9, 2001. |
| Michael Schwartz, Director, is honored to have a recently discovered asteroid named after him: 'MPC 41940, January 9, 2001 (13820) Schwartz = 1999 VQ, discovered November 1,
1999 by C.W. Juels of Fountain Hills, Arizona. Michael
Schwartz (b. 1950) contributes to professional-amateur cooperative discovery
and measurement of supernovae and efforts in improving automated astronomy at Tenagra Observatories in Patagonia, Arizona.' |
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| January 1, 2001. |
| LOTOSS discovers supernova 2001A, the first supernova of the
TRUE new millennium.. |
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| November 1,
1999. |
Tenagra and Lick Observatories have combined efforts
to create LOTOSS, Lick Observatory, Tenagra Observatory Supernova Search,
a collaboration of the LICK Observatory Supernova Search (cf. IAUC 6627,
7126) using the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) and the Tenagra
Observatory Supernova Search using the 0.81-m (32") Tenagra II and other Tenagra
automated Telescopes. |
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| April 15,
1999. |
The original Tenagra III 0.5-m (20") Ritchey-Chretien telescope
goes into operation. This telescope was decommissioned in October, 2001
and will be replaced by and 0.6-m (24") Ritchey-Chretien in Fall, 2003. |
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| August 2,
1998. |
Tenagra discovers only the 3rd known hydrogen-deficient dwarf CV
during the course of its supernovae survey.
S. Jha, P. Garnavich, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, communicate: "A spectrum of
SN 1998di (cf. IAUC 6982) taken by P. Berlind on Aug. 4.4 UT at the
Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST spectrograph) exhibits
a blue continuum with shallow absorption troughs shortward of 500
nm. The object appears 4" east and 4" north of an anonymous galaxy
with a recession velocity of 10 750 +/- 30 km/s. The shallow
absorption features have widths of about 3000 km/s (FWHM) and
correspond to He I absorption at zero radial velocity. The
spectrum resembles that of CR Boo, a hydrogen-deficient dwarf nova,
near maximum (Patterson et al. 1997, PASP 109, 1100). |
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| July 14, 1997. |
| Tenagra I discovers its first supernova. |
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