Circular No. 6805
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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GRB 980109
     J. in 't Zand and J. M. Muller, Space Research Organisation,
Utrecht; L. Piro, L. Di Ciolo, A. Coletta, S. Rebecchi, and G.
Gennaro, BeppoSAX Science Operation Center, Telespazio, Rome; M.
Feroci, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR, Rome; and F.
Frontera, Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri,
CNR, Bologna, report on behalf of the BeppoSAX team:  "A gamma-ray
burst (Bacodine trigger 6564) has been detected by the BeppoSAX
Gamma-Ray burst Monitor on Jan. 9.05024 UT.  A quick-look analysis
shows a single-peak gamma-ray burst lasting about 25 s with a peak
intensity of 550 counts/s.  The gamma-ray burst was also detected
by the Wide Field Camera WFC2 with a peak flux of about 0.8 Crab.
The position given by an off-line analysis is R.A. = 0h25m56s,
Decl. = -63o01'.4 (equinox 2000.0).  The event was detected in a
part of the orbit when the satellite was in a very unfavorable
attitude control configuration, resulting in a conservative 99-
percent error radius of 10'.  A BeppoSAX Narrow Field follow-up
observation will not be performed.  Observations at all wavelengths
are solicited."


SUPERNOVA 1998A IN IC 2627
     Andrew Williams, Perth Observatory, reports the discovery by
Simon Woodings, Ralph Martin, and himself of an apparent supernova
(R about 17) on a CCD frame taken on Jan. 6.77 UT with the 0.61-m
Perth-Lowell reflector as part of the Perth Astronomy Research
Group's automated supernova search.  SN 1998A is located 40" east
and 10" south of the center of IC 2627.  No object was present at
this position on a frame taken on 1997 Dec. 18 (limiting mag R
about 18.5), nor is any star present on earlier, deeper search
images of this galaxy.  A. Verveer and J. Biggs obtained an
unfiltered CCD image on Jan. 7.844 with the Perth 0.25-m Mike Candy
Telescope, from which Biggs has derived the following precise
position for SN 1998A:  R.A. = 11h09m50s.33 +/- 0s.07, Decl. =
-23o43'43".1 +/- 0".2 (equinox 2000.0; GSC reference stars); the
magnitude was estimated as 16.5.


SUPERNOVA 1997ei IN NGC 3963
     S. Moretti and S. Tomaselli, Forli, Italy, report the
following unfiltered CCD magnitude for SN 1997ei:  Jan. 8.85 UT,
15.9 (GSC reference stars).

                      (C) Copyright 1998 CBAT
1997 January 9                 (6805)            Daniel W. E. Green