We are carrying out the "Pan-STARRS Search for Kilonovae" which is a focused search for intrinsically faint transients, or rapidly evolving transients in galaxies which are closer than 200 Mpc in the ongoing Pan-STARRS Near Earth Object surveys (see Smartt et al. AstroNote 2019-48 for details).
In normal survey mode, Pan-STARRS takes 4 x 45s exposures in w, i or z each night reaching 5 sigma magnitudes of w<22, i<21 and z<20.5 in each frame (see Chambers et al. 2016, 1612.05560).
We report the discovery of an intrinsically faint transient PS19frw (AT2019rkg) in the host galaxy ESO 472- G 020, at a redshift of z = 0.034 or d = 149 Mpc (from NED). The transient was discovered at MJD 58754.42 == 2019-09-28.42, at m_w = 20.28 +/- 0.09. It is offset from the host by 5.89" N, 10.33" W (a projected 8 kpc radius from the galaxy centre). At this distance the absolute magnitude is M_w = -15.64 (assuming m-M = 35.87 and foreground extinction of A_r = 0.053). Spectroscopic classification is encouraged.
Information on all objects discovered by the "Pan-STARRS search for kilonovae" will be made available at http://star.pst.qub.ac.uk/ps1threepi/. We will release AstroNotes for all these candidates and encourage spectroscopic classification or photometric follow-up. A finder is attached.
These discoveries are a byproduct of the Pan-STARRS NEO survey observations supported by the NASA Grants, including No. NNX14AM74G issued through the SSO Near Earth Object Observations Program.
Catalog | Name | Reported RA | Reported DEC | Reported Obj-Type | Reported Redshift | Host Name | Host Redshift | Remarks | TNS RA | TNS DEC | TNS Obj-Type | TNS Redshift |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TNS | 2019rkg [PS19frw] | 00:13:02.155 | -24:12:46.86 | SN | 0.034 | 00:13:02.160 | -24:12:46.94 |