ASAS-SN request AT2017iro

Information about outbursts of eruptive stars, Be activity, ...
Robin Leadbeater
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Re: ASAS-SN request AT2017iro

Post by Robin Leadbeater »

Hello Etienne,

Congratulations. Patrick Wiggins should be pleased to hear that his supernova has been confirmed. Some amateur supernovae (and many hundreds of professionally discovered supernovae never get confirmed.

Yes it took me a while to understand the TNS entry system. You cannot edit anything but if you make a mistake, you can either submit a repeat as you have done or contact them. Ofer Yaron who looks after the server is usually quick to respond and can correct errors. For example the spectrum type should be object, not host. Hopefully we should not make mistakes to often though. TNS is not like a forum. It is a professional IAU service used by all professional astronomers interested in supernovae. It officially names all supernovae automatically based on our observations so we have to be careful. (There is no human astronomer stopping us making silly errors any more so we have to be very professional.)

A useful feature is that you can add extra files to the classification report. I usually add the GELATO or SNID best fit image. Also I normally crop the blue end of the spectrum before submitting it if the noise is very high, like here. You should also try to add a redshift so the correct positions of lines can be seen on the spectrum plot. Either put the host redshift if it is clear what galaxy it is in or even better if you have a clear red shift from the spectrum (eg Balmer emission in type II supernovae) you can enter that instead. (Occasionally a supernova can be from a different galaxy from the one you expect it to be from, for example behind it, so we always need to be careful) There should not normally be any need to add any extra comments at the bottom.

Classifying supernova is an art and a science and it takes some experience. (I am still a beginner) For example you can check the host galaxy red shift (click on the NED button) and see if that agrees with what the supernovae spectrum is telling us. We also know that the supernovae are usually new so the age given by GELATO/SNID should agree with that. If there is doubt I do not make the report without asking for expert help.

I think I was the first amateur spectroscopist submitting to TNS so I started by looking at what was being put in other reports submitted by the professionals. I suggest looking at some of my supernova reports and using them as a template. For example
https://wis-tns.weizmann.ac.il/object/2017igf
The full list is here
and nobody has complained yet!


Good Luck!
Robin
LHIRES III #29 ATIK314 ALPY 600/200 ATIK428 Star Analyser 100/200 C11 EQ6
http://www.threehillsobservatory.co.uk
Robin Leadbeater
Posts: 1926
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:41 pm
Contact:

Re: ASAS-SN request AT2017iro

Post by Robin Leadbeater »

Here is another quite bright PSN (at2017isj in UGC 6126 mag 15.4) that Subo will be interested in
https://wis-tns.weizmann.ac.il/object/2017isj
(He is making detailed followups of all type 1a out to z=0.02)

Robin
LHIRES III #29 ATIK314 ALPY 600/200 ATIK428 Star Analyser 100/200 C11 EQ6
http://www.threehillsobservatory.co.uk
Robin Leadbeater
Posts: 1926
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:41 pm
Contact:

Re: ASAS-SN request AT2017iro

Post by Robin Leadbeater »

Robin Leadbeater wrote:Here is another quite bright PSN (at2017isj in UGC 6126 mag 15.4) that Subo will be interested in
https://wis-tns.weizmann.ac.il/object/2017isj
Now confirmed as type 1a
LHIRES III #29 ATIK314 ALPY 600/200 ATIK428 Star Analyser 100/200 C11 EQ6
http://www.threehillsobservatory.co.uk
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