Bright supernova 2009dd in NGC 4088.

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Bright supernovae are not particularly common, so to have one that is both reasonably bright and in a galaxy well placed for UK observers is a double bonus. On 2009 April 15 Guy Hurst (The Astronomer magazine) issued e-circular no.2541 reporting that a supernova of discovery magnitude 13.7 had been detected in NGC 4088 by Giovanni Cortini at the Monte Maggiore Observatory, Italy on April 13.97UT using a 35cm telescope. Details were issued on CBET 1764 and the supernova was given the designation 2009dd. BAA electronic bulletin no. 404 was issued giving details of the discovery and requesting observations. Several members responded with images and for some this was the first supernova they had observed.

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One sad story is that BAA member Mike Beales, carrying out his first ever automated patrol, observed it on April 13.875, before its discovery by Cortini. However, not having a reference image for comparison, he assumed the very bright centre was the nucleus of the galaxy. To miss a supernova by not checking an image is bad enough, but to miss one on your first ever patrol must be heartbreaking. Mike's observation was made from his observatory in Quainton, Buckinghamshire using a 20cm f/4 Schmidt-Newtonian and Starlight Xpress SXVF-H9 CCD.

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NGC 4088 is a magnitude 10.8 galaxy in Ursa Major visible in a 20cm telescope as a small (5x2 arcmin) halo with a brighter core. The supernova, at position RA 12h 05m 33.6s and Dec +50d 32m 20s (2000.0), was only 2"W and 5"S of the centre of the galaxy, making its clear detection and separation from the galaxy's core difficult in many images. Some of the images received are shown here, including Mike Beales' 'discovery' image.

Stewart L. Moore, Director