SPIRITS Discoveries of Infrared Transients and Variables with Spitzer Early Release Data

ATel #8688; J. E. Jencson, M. M. Kasliwal, S. Tinyanont, Y. Cao, T. Prince (Caltech), R. Lau (JPL/Caltech), D. Perley (DARK), F. Masci, G. Helou, L. Armus, J. Surace, S. D. Van Dyk (IPAC), A. Cody (NASA Ames), M. L. Boyer, R. Khan (NASA Goddard), H. E. Bond, A. Monson (PSU), J. Bally (UC Boulder), E. Levesque (U. Washington), 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), O. Fox (UC Berkeley), E. Hsiao (FSU), M. Phillips, E. Hsiao, N. Morrell, C. Gonzalez, C. Contreras (LCO), on behalf of the SPIRITS collaboration
on 12 Feb 2016; 22:19 UT
Credential Certification: Mansi Manoj Kasliwal (mansi@astro.caltech.edu)

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We report several recently discovered infrared transients/strong variables by the Spitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey (SPIRITS) using Spitzer Early Release Data (ATel #6644, #7929). These sources were selected as particularly interesting due to their high luminosity (peak observed), extreme color, or lack of a conspicuous pre-outburst counterpart:

 
SPIRITS Name | RA (J2000)  | Dec (J2000) | Host Galaxy (DM) | UT-discovery | [3.6] (abs)  | [4.5] (abs)  | [3.6]-[4.5] | Notes 
 
15aht        | 09:55:18.54 | +69:04:22.8 | M81 (27.8)        | 2016-1-14    | 17.1 (-10.7) | 16.4 (-11.4) | 0.7         | b 
15ahg        | 07:36:37.40 | +65:38:02.6 | NGC 2403 (27.5)   | 2016-01-09   | 16.6 (-10.9) | 16.1 (-11.4) | 0.5         | a 
15agl        | 03:46:17.57 | +68:08:44.7 | IC 342 (27.6)     | 2015-12-28   | 16.8 (-10.8) |     ...      | ...         | b         
15afp        | 20:34:59.65 | +60:11:18.1 | NGC 6946 (29.1)   | 2015-12-03   | 17.3 (-11.9) | 16.6 (-12.6) | 0.7         | a 
15aev        | 02:22:40.29 | +42:23:53.5 | NGC 891 (29.6)    | 2015-11-20   | 17.5 (-12.1) | 16.3 (-13.3) | 1.2         | a 
15ael        | 00:40:22.82 | +41:41:36.4 | M110 (24.5)       | 2015-11-19   | 18.3 (-6.2)  | 16.3 (-8.2)  | 2.0         | b 
15ade        | 15:22:05.55 | +05:03:15.9 | NGC 5921 (30.4)   | 2015-11-18   | 16.8 (-13.6) | 16.2 (-14.2) | 0.6         | b 
15aag        | 03:18:23.63 | -66:30:24.2 | NGC 1313 (28.2)   | 2015-10-29   | 17.9 (-10.3) | 16.7 (-11.7) | 1.2         | a 
15aac        | 13:36:57.08 | -29:53:13.3 | M83 (28.4)        | 2015-10-29   | 17.8 (-10.7) | 16.1 (-12.3) | 1.7         | b 
15yq         | 13:34:44.21 | -45:32:25.5 | ESO270G017 (28.2) | 2015-10-22   | 17.6 (-10.6) | 16.6 (-11.6) | 1.0         | a 
15yf         | 00:54:48.74 | -37:43:13.7 | NGC 300 (26.4)    | 2015-10-16   | 16.7 (-9.7)  | 16.9 (-9.6)  | -0.2        | a 
15ue         | 12:34:19.00 | +06:28:15.7 | NGC 4532 (32.4)   | 2015-09-13   |     ...      | 15.0 (-17.3) | ...         | a 
15ud         | 12:22:55.29 | +15:49:22.0 | M100 (31.3)       | 2015-09-13   | 14.9 (-16.4) | 14.4 (-16.9) | 0.5         | b 
15ua         | 11:18:19.10 | -32:51:06.9 | NGC 3621 (28.7)   | 2015-09-13   | 17.3 (-11.3) | 16.5 (-12.2) | 0.8         | a 
 

a) Fainter counterpart in reference (2004 - 2012).

b) No counterpart in reference (2003 - 2009).

We note that many of these sources lie in the intermediate luminosity gap between classical novae and supernovae, and we encourage follow-up to discern their nature as eruptive or explosive phenomena. Please contact us if additional information (such as finding charts) is needed. We caution that we do not have spectroscopic confirmation that these transients belong to the reported host galaxies, and there is some chance they are unrelated foreground or background events.