2003IAUC.8235....1M

R. Martin, Perth Observatory, reports the discovery, on CCD images taken on Oct. 24.800 and 28.752 UT with the 0.61-m Perth/Lowell Automated Telescope in the course of the Perth Automated Supernova Search, of an apparent supernova (red mag 17) located in NGC 2997. J. Biggs, Perth Observatory, writes that three unfiltered exposures taken with the 25-cm Mike Candy Telescope around Oct. 29.778 show the new object (R = 17 ± 1) at the following position: R.A. = 9h45m37s.91 ± 0".3, Decl. = -31o11'21".0 ± 1".0 (equinox 2000.0), which is approximately 11" east and 6" north of the galactic nucleus. Martin adds that nothing is visible at this location on an image taken on Sept. 25.876 (limiting mag 19), but the object does appear, just above the noise threshold, in an image taken on Oct. 5.850.