ASASSN-16fq: Discovery of A Probable Supernova in M66

ATel #9091; G. Bock (Runaway Bay Observatory, Australia), Subo Dong(KIAA-PKU), C. S. Kochanek, K. Z. Stanek, J. S. Brown, T. W.-S. Holoien, D. Godoy-Rivera, U. Basu (Ohio State), B. J. Shappee (Hubble Fellow, Carnegie Observatories), J. L. Prieto (Diego Portales; MAS), D. Bersier (LJMU), Ping Chen (KIAA-PKU), J. Brimacombe (Coral Towers Observatory)
on 28 May 2016; 13:15 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Supernovae
Credential Certification: Subo Dong (dongsubo@pku.edu.cn)

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During the ongoing All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN or "Assassin"), using data from the quadruple 14-cm "Brutus" telescope in Haleakala, Hawaii, we discovered a new transient source, most likely a supernova, in the galaxy M66.

ASASSN-16fq (AT 2016cok) was discovered in images obtained on UT 2016-05-28.30 at V ~ 16.7 mag. We do not detect (V>17.1) the object in images taken on UT 2016-05-24.32 and before. An image obtained on UT 2016-05-28.47 by G. Bock confirms the discovery of the transient. This figure shows the archival DSS image of the host (left) and the G. Bock confirmation image (right). The red circle has a radius of 10" and is centered on the position of the transient in the G. Bock image.

The position of ASASSN-16fq is approximately 69" from the center of the galaxy M66 (z=0.002425, d=10 Mpc, via NED), giving an absolute V-band magnitude of approximately -13.4 (m-M=30, A_V=0.09). Properties of the new source and photometry are summarized in the tables below:

  
Object       RA (J2000)     DEC (J2000)      Disc. UT Date   Disc. V mag  Approx. Abs. Mag   Offset from Host ('')  
ASASSN-16fq  11:20:19.09    +12:58:57.2      2016-05-28.30      16.7          -13.4               69  

  
Obs. UT Date         V mag  
2016-05-24.32        >17.1  
2016-05-28.30         16.7  

Follow-up observations are encouraged.

While we are participating in the TNS system to minimize potential confusion, ASAS-SN will continue using ASASSN-16xx transient names as our primary nomenclature (including supernovae, but also other classes of transients), and we encourage others to do the same. We prefer merging the names as ASASSN-16xx (AT2016xyz) to preserve, rather than anonymize, the origin of the transient.

We thank LCOGT and its staff for their continued support of ASAS-SN. ASAS-SN is supported by NSF grant AST-1515927, the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP) at OSU, the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation, George Skestos, and the Robert Martin Ayers Sciences Fund. For more information about the ASAS-SN project, see the ASAS-SN Homepage and the list of all ASAS-SN transients.