2002IAUC.7973....2K

Reports of the independent discoveries on unfiltered CCD images of an apparent supernova in NGC 1309 have been received from R. Kushida, Yatsugatake South Base Observatory (via S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan), and from J. Wang and Y. L. Qiu (on behalf of Beijing Astronomical Observatory supernova survey). A precise position for the new object has been measured by Y. Kushida from R. Kushida's image of Sept. 17.719 UT: R.A. = 3h22m05s.71, Decl. = -15o24'03".2 (equinox 2000.0), which is about 12" west and 3".5 south of the center of NGC 1309 (offset somewhat uncertain due to difficulty in defining the nucleus center). Magnitude estimates (K = Kushida, W = Wang): 2000 Dec. 17, [18 (K); 2002 Feb. 6.50, [18.0: (W); Sept. 15.84, 15.7: (W); 17.719, 15.0 (K); 17.79, 14.5: (W).