PHOTOMETRIC AND SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF SN 1976 B IN NGC 4402.

Abstract

ABSTRACT NGC 4402 is an edge-on early-type spiral in the Virgo S cloud. On 1976 March 28 a heavily obscured type I supernova, SN 1976b, was discovered at the edge of the equatorial dust belt. Photographic, photoelectric, and spectrographic observations were obtained at McDonald Observatory from March 30 to May 3, and photographs at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, from April 9 to May 17. Attention is given to four local comparison stars, the photoelectric and photographic observations, the light curve, the color curve and reddening, the distance of NGC 4402 and the absolute magnitude of SN 1976b, and the spectroscopic observations.