COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
          INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                      Number 2079

                                   Konkoly Observatory
                                   Budapest
                                   1982 January 28

                                   HU ISSN 0374-0676



            CREATION OF A SUPERNOVA DATABASE



  We have begun a collection, from the literature, of all spectroscopic
and photometric data on supernovae and are converting them to digital form
in order to make them available as a database on an interactive computer
system (Starlink in the UK). Our primary aim is to store the published data
in a readily accessible form. Astronomers will then be able to interrogate
the database and use simple commands to extract and examine precisely those
data of interest. In addition we intend to provide means of "standardising"
the data (eg. reducing photometry to a common system) and for displaying
them graphically in a uniform format so that meaningful combinations and
comparisons may be made. We also plan to store complete bibliographical
references to the sources of the data and ancilliary information on the
parent galaxies.

  We would be pleased to receive preprints and reprints of reduced data
for inclusion in the database and to hear advice and enquiries from potential
users. Please write to:

Dr. Roger Wood, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux Castle,
East Sussex, BN27 1RP, United Kingdom.

D. BRANCH
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma, USA

D. CLARK and B. PATCHETT
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Oxford, U.K.

R. WOOD
Royal Greenwich Observatory
U.K.