Additional SPIRITS Discoveries of Infrared Transients and Variables with Counterparts in Reference Imaging

ATel #10171; J. E. Jencson, M. M. Kasliwal, S. Adams, D. Cook, S. Tinyanont, S. Kwan, T. Prince (Caltech), R. M. Lau (Caltech/JPL), D. Perley (DARK), F. Masci, G. Helou, L. Armus, J. Surace, S. D. Van Dyk (Caltech/IPAC), A. Cody (NASA Ames), M. L. Boyer (NASA Goddard), H. E. Bond, A. Monson (PSU), J. Bally (UC Boulder), Y. Cao, R. Khan, E. Levesque (U. Washington), O. Fox, R. Williams (STSCI), P. A. Whitelock (SAAO, UCT), S. Mohamed (SAAO), R. D. Gehrz, S. Amodeo, D. Shenoy, R. Carlon, A. Cass, D. Corgan, D. Dykhoff, J. Faella, T. Gburek (U. Minnesota), N. Smith (U. Arizona), M. Cantiello (UCSB), N. Langer (U. Bonn), E. Ofek (WIS), J. Johansson (OKC/WIS), M. Parthasarathy (IIA), E. Hsiao (FSU), M. Phillips, N. Morrell, C. Gonzalez, C. Contreras (LCO), on behalf of the SPIRITS collaboration
on 15 Mar 2017; 21:33 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Transients
Credential Certification: Mansi Manoj Kasliwal (mansi@astro.caltech.edu)

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We report the discoveries of mid-infrared transients/eruptive variables found by the Spitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey (SPIRITS) using Spitzer Early Release Data (ATel #6644, #7929, #8688, #8940, #9434). Some of these events may belong to an emerging class of infrared (IR) transients known as eSPecially Red Intermediate Luminosity Transient Events (SPRITEs; Kasliwal et al. 2017, arXiv:1701.01151) defined by peak luminosities between those of novae and supernovae in the range -11 > [4.5] > -14 mag (or 6.3 < log(L/Lsun) < 7.5) and no detected counterpart at optical wavelengths. Here, we list events with a fainter counterpart in the Spitzer reference images (2004-2008).

 
Name          | RA (J2000)  | Dec (J2000) | Host Galaxy (DM; Ref.) | UT-discovery | Peak [3.6] (abs) | Peak [4.5] (abs) | Max. [3.6]-[4.5] | iPTF Optical Limits 
SPIRITS 17eq  | 01:35:01.12 | -41:26:07.2 | NGC0625 (27.7, a)      | 2017-02-20   | 16.9 (-10.8) | 16.0 (-11.7) | 1.5   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 17bf  | 13:25:17.57 | -42:59:21.0 | Cen A (27.8, a)        | 2016-10-12   | 15.9 (-11.9) | 15.2 (-12.6) | 0.9   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 17c   | 03:46:35.25 | +68:01:57.1 | IC 342 (27.7, a)       | 2016-12-21   | 17.3 (-10.4) | 16.2 (-11.5) | 0.9   | R > 19.9; 2017-03-02 |  
SPIRITS 16tj  | 03:18:21.22 | -66:29:51.1 | NGC 1313 (28.1, a)     | 2016-08-05   | 17.5 (-10.6) | 16.1 (-12.0) | 1.5   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16th  | 03:18:27.20 | -66:28:38.6 | NGC 1313 (28.1, a)     | 2016-08-05   | 17.0 (-11.1) | 16.0 (-12.1) | > 1.0 | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16tg  | 03:18:16.92 | -66:28:57.7 | NGC 1313 (28.1, a)     | 2016-08-05   | 16.6 (-11.5) | 15.7 (-12.4) | 1.3   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16tf  | 03:18:04.82 | -66:30:17.8 | NGC 1313 (28.1, a)     | 2016-08-05   | 16.4 (-11.7) | 15.4 (-12.7) | 1.0   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16rz  | 13:05:43.63 | -49:27:04.2 | NGC 4945 (27.9, a)     | 2016-05-27   | 17.2 (-10.7) | 16.6 (-11.3) | 1.0   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16rs  | 13:05:07.36 | -49:32:40.0 | NGC 4945 (27.9, a)     | 2016-05-27   | ...  (...)   | 16.4 (-11.5) | > 0.0 | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16rp  | 13:05:22.33 | -49:28:31.2 | NGC 4945 (27.9, a)     | 2016-05-27   | 16.7 (-11.2) | 15.7 (-12.2) | 1.0   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16rn  | 13:05:19.00 | -49:28:50.8 | NGC 4945 (27.9, a)     | 2016-05-27   | ...  (...)   | 15.3 (-12.6) | ...   | ...                  |  
SPIRITS 16pr  | 13:36:47.15 | -29:52:58.6 | M 83 (28.3, a)         | 2016-05-06   | 17.2 (-11.1) | 16.7 (-11.6) | 1.1   | R > 19.6; 2016-01-12 |  
SPIRITS 16po  | 13:37:01.50 | -29:54:26.8 | M 83 (28.3, a)         | 2016-05-06   | 17.1 (-11.2) | 16.5 (-11.8) | 0.6   | R > 19.6; 2016-01-12 |  
SPIRITS 16ph  | 03:46:27.63 | +68:13:42.0 | IC 342 (27.7, a)       | 2016-05-07   | 17.1 (-10.6) | 16.1 (-11.5) | > 0.0 | R > 19.9; 2017-03-02 |  
SPIRITS 16oz  | 13:36:40.73 | -29:52:41.7 | M 83 (28.3, a)         | 2016-04-30   | 16.8 (-11.5) | 16.5 (-11.8) | > 0.9 | R > 19.6; 2016-01-12 |  
SPIRITS 16oj  | 13:18:53.54 | -21:04:14.5 | NGC 5068 (28.7, b)     | 2016-04-22   | 17.1 (-11.6) | 16.6 (-12.1) | 0.6   | R > 19.5; 2016-01-12 |  
SPIRITS 16kp  | 14:02:57.80 | +54:22:50.6 | M 101 (29.2, a)        | 2016-04-08   | 17.5 (-11.7) | 16.4 (-12.8) | 1.4   | R > 22.7; 2016-04-16 |  
SPIRITS 16ko  | 12:50:50.53 | +41:06:04.4 | M 94 (28.3, a)         | 2016-04-05   | 16.8 (-11.5) | 16.1 (-12.2) | 0.8   | g > 23.0; 2016-04-05 |  
 

a) Tully et al. 2013, AJ, 146, 86

b) Herrmann et al. 2008, ApJ, 683, 630

We encourage continued follow-up to discern the nature of these events. Please contact us if additional information is needed. We caution that in most cases we do not have spectroscopic confirmation of redshift and there is some chance that a few of them may be unrelated foreground or background events.