AT2020biy in nearby NGC4631

[Robin Leadbeater]

ATLAS have announced an interesting transient in a nearby (4Mpc) galaxy NGC 4631.

https://www.wis-tns.org/astronotes/astronote/2021-33

Nick James (BAA) recorded it at mag 16.8 tonight so it is rising rapidly.
https://britastro.org/node/25611

If it turns out to be a supernova on the rise it could get much brighter (a type Ia without extinction would reach mag 9 a this distance !)



Robin

[Robin Leadbeater]

It has now been classified as a probable Luminous Red Nova.

http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=14360

I have to confess I had to look up what an LRN was. Fascinating !

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019A ... P/abstract

Robin