SN 1996X in NGC 5061

Dear Colleagues,

Recent IAUC tells the discovery of SN 1996X in NGC 5061, which should be the nearly same distance as the Virgo cluster. The spectroscopy shows that it is of the type Ia SNe near the maximum or the pre-maximum phase. The standard type Ia SN in the Virgo cluster will reach 12.0 mag at its optical maximum.

Its position is; R.A. = 13h18m01s.13, Decl. = -26o50'45".3 (equinox 2000.0) which is about 52" west and 31" south of the NGC 5061's center.

SNe Ia have been thought to be the good standard candle for the distance measurement. Recently, the relation between maximum luminosity and the decline rate or the type of host galaxies are pointed out and now being studied. This SN 1996X will become another example which are well observed before the optical maximum, and add the new points to this subject.

Photometric observations are enourmously encourged! If there are good sequence of reference stars, please announce it here.

Hitoshi Yamaoka, Kyushu Univ., Japan.
e-mail: yamaoka@rc.kyushu-u.ac.jp