[vsnet-alert 18293] PSN J14021678+5426205 does not appear to be a supernova

[Colin Littlefield]

To follow up on PSN J14021678+5426205, the optical transient in M101:

This transient does not appear to be a supernova. My colleagues and I 
just measured the V magnitude of the transient at V~17.5, compared with 
the original detection magnitude of 16.5 (unfiltered) on February 10. 
Thus, there does not appear to have been any significant brightening.

After realizing this, I inspected the two images referenced in the CBAT 
at 
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/followups/J14021678+5426205.html. 
While one image is somewhat out-of-focus, the transient is clearly 
present in both (one from November 13, 2014 and another on January 20, 
2015). The text of the CBAT is somewhat ambiguous, but in hindsight, I 
believe that the author meant to convey that the transient was present 
in both images, not just one of them.

CRTS does not show an object at this position, and neither does DSS. It 
would seem to be a high-amplitude variable star or perhaps a supernova 
imposter.

Best Regards,
Colin