SN2002hm – discovery

Tom Boles

SN2002hm in NGC 4016, discovered 2002 November 5. IAU Circular 8009 : T. Boles, Coddenham, England, reports the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag. 16.9) on an unfiltered CCD image taken on Nov. 5.158 UT in the course of the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol. The new object is located at RA 11h 58m 29s.58, Dec +27º 31' 45".1 (equinox 2000.0), which is approximately 6".8 east and 1".0 north of the center of NGC 4016. SN2002hm is not present on Boles’ images from Apr. 4 (limiting mag. 18.5), 19, or June 1, and it is not present on Palomar Sky Survey red and blue plates. G. Pignata and F. Patat, European Southern Observatory; and S. Benetti, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Padua, on behalf of the European RTN, report that full reduction of a spectrum (range 380–880 nm; resolution 1.1 nm) of SN2002hm, obtained at Calar Alto on Nov. 6.19 UT with the 2.2-m reflector (+ CAFOS), shows it to be a type-II supernova similar to SN1992H, about 1 month past maximum. The spectrum is dominated by hydrogen lines of the Balmer series, Ca II, and Fe II, accompanied by well-developed P-Cyg profiles, overimposed on a rather blue continuum. The recession velocity at the supernova position, deduced from the narrow H-alpha line from the underlying H II region, is 3,560 km/s.