ATLAS discoveries of optical transients

ATel #8876; J. Tonry, L. Denneau, B. Stalder, A. Heinze, A. Sherstyuk (IfA, University of Hawaii), A. Rest (STScI), K. W. Smith, S. J. Smartt (Queen's University Belfast)
on 27 Mar 2016; 07:58 UT
Credential Certification: Stephen Smartt (s.smartt@qub.ac.uk)

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We report the following transients found by the ATLAS survey (see Tonry et al. ATel #8680). ATLAS is a twin 0.5m telescope system on Haleakala and Mauna Loa. The first unit is operational on Haleakala is robotically surveying the sky. Two filters are used, cyan and orange (denoted c and o, all mags in AB system), more information is on http://www.fallingstar.com. The one potential SN was registered with the IAU TNS. The other two are probable high amplitude stellar variables.

 
 
Name      | ATLAS Name | RA (J2000)  | Dec (J2000) | Disc. Date | Disc Mag |  Notes 
AT2016bky | ATLAS16ahr | 07:12:58.81 | +00:19:57.6 |  57452.39  |  17.17 c |  1. Gaia16ahp 
...       | ATLAS16aid | 17:48:18.66 | +64:45:52.5 |  57458.61  |  16.71 c |  2.  
...       | ATLAS16aja | 07:34:20.84 | -34:21:54.3 |  57465.30  |  15.90 o |  3.  
 
 
1. Offset from a faint, diffuse host which is probably a low surface brightness galaxy in PS1 3Pi  
stack images. Also discovered as Gaia16ahp, with consistent mag and blue SED (No object  
reported in Vizier at this position). Probable SN in faint host.  
2. SDSS J174818.60+644552.4, faint host object at r=22.15. But star/galaxy separation is 
ambiguous at this flux level. Decay of 0.5 mag in 4 days. Most likely a CV.  
3. No host in any catalogue but not in PS1. 1 mag decay in 4 days. Likely a CV candidate.