Images and discovery details of Supernovae SN2005B in UGC11066
(discovered January 11, 2005 as confirmed on IAU Circular 8462)
Discovery made by Paul Gray and Dave Lane from Abbey Ridge Observatory

Discovery Notes

Paul Gray and I are pleased to report that we have discovered a supernova (mag ~17.5) in UGC11066 (a magnitude 15.2 galaxy in Draco), as reported on IAU Circular 8462. This discovery is part of an organized search program of ~2500 galaxies.

It was detected late in the evening of January 11, 2005 by Paul (located in Fredericton, NB) while he was studying images taken earlier that evening at the semi-automated Abbey Ridge Observatory (located at Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia) - I was not even home when the image was taken - my wife and I were at a Tsunami Benefit Concert at the Halifax Metro Centre.

It was verified immediately when I got home and reported by 2am to the IAU's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. It was confirmed Friday by Ramon Naves, an amateur astronomer in Spain.

It was also detected on an image that we took on December 17th, but at the time it was assumed to be noise and was not reported. A well-known supernova searcher Tom Boles reported an independent discovery on an image taken early Friday morning and is credited as a co-discover.

This is our second discovery - our first was made in February of 1995 (SN1995F), nearly 10 years ago. Soon after the first one we stopped searching, only to start up again about 16 months ago after ARO was up-and-running. So far was we know, these are the only supernovae to be discovered solely in Canada (imaged and discovered in Canada by Canadians).

Discovery Images

A fits image of the above image is here.

A fits image of the above image is here.

Details

Designation: Supernova 2005B
Discovered at 2004/12/17.024 by Paul Gray and Dave Lane; Tom Boles (confirmed by Ramon Naves of Spain)
Position: 17h54m48s.72 +71°32'34".5
Located 18" west and 10" north of the center of UGC 11066
Brightness: ~17.5 magnitude
Type: a "young" Type II (spectra taken with Palomar 200")
Galaxy Names: UGC 11066, MCG +12-17-013, CGCG 340-026,PGC 061096, CGCG 1755.7+7133, UZC J175452.6+713226
Galaxy Position: 17h54m52.6s +71d32m26s
Galaxy Helio. radial velocity: 4315 +/- 6 km/s
Galaxy Approx. Distance: 100 million ly
Galaxy Size (arcmin): 1.3 x 0.8
Galaxy Magnitude: 15.10
Galaxy Classification: SAB(s)dm

Extract from IAU Circular # 8462

Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
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SUPERNOVA 2005B IN UGC 11066

D. Lane, Saint Mary's University, reports that he and P. Gray have discovered an apparent supernova (mag about 18.0) on unfiltered CCD images taken on Jan. 12.002-12.18 UT with a 0.28-m reflector at Stillwater Lake, NS; earlier images from 2004 Dec. 17.02 also show the object near limiting mag about 18.5. SN 2005B is located at R.A. = 17h54m48s.8, Decl. = +71o32'35" (equinox 2000.0), which is approximately 18" west and 10" north of the center of UGC 11066. Nothing was visible at this location on earlier images taken on 2004 Aug. 23 and Sept. 15 (limiting mag 19.0). An independent discovery of SN 2005B (at mag 17.5) has been reported by T. Boles (cf. IAUC 8446) on an unfiltered CCD image taken on Jan. 13.227. Boles provides position end figures 48s.72, 34".5, adding that nothing is visible at this position on his images from 2004 Oct. 2 and Sept. 4 (limiting mag 19.5), and it is not present on Digitized Sky Survey plates from 1993 (limiting red mag 21.0) and 1989 (limiting blue mag 20.5).

Last Updated: September 24, 2005.