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 intrinsically faint transients PS19gut (AT2019vve) in the host galaxy SDSS J075545.25+322423.1 at a redshift of z = 0.042, or d = 181 Mpc (from NED); and PS19gus (AT2019vuh) in the host galaxy PGC176183 at a redshift of z = 0.036 or d = 151 Mpc (from NED). PS19gut (offset 1.5 arcsec south, 2.9 arcsec east or 1.9 kpc from host centre) was discovered at MJD 58816.62 (2019-11-29.62) at mag w = 19.89 +/- 0.05. PS19gus (offset 9.3 arcsec south, 20.3 arcsec east or 22 kpc from host centre) was discovered at MJD 58815.36 (2019-11-28.36) at mag w = 19.86 +/- 0.03. The absolute magnitude for PS19gut is M_w = -16.5 (assuming m-M = 36.29 and foreground exinction of A_w = 0.15) and PS19gus is M_w = -16.1 (assuming m-M = 35.90 and foreground extinction A_w = 0.05). 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.
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