AAVSO Alert Notice 443
Nova Lupi 2011
August 9, 2011

Event: Nova in Lupus – Nova Lupi 2011

Discovered by: Nicholas Brown, Quinns Rocks, Western Australia
[vsnet-alert 13560]

Discovery Date: 2011 August 4.73 UT

Discovery Magnitude: magnitude 10.2 photographic unfiltered, on two films, using a 135F2 cannon lens and tmax 400 film.

Coordinates: R.A. = 14 54 20, Decl. = -55 05 03 (equinox 2000.0)
Position from Mati Morel (Variable Stars South), Thornton, NSW, Australia, based on measurement of image by Roy Axelsen, Chapel Hill, Queensland, Australia, taken August 8.4674 UT.

Spectra: Fred Walter, SUNY Stony Brook, reports (ATEL #3536) that a spectrum obtained 2011 August 9.0132 UT with the SMARTS 1.5m RC spectrograph at Cerro Tololo confirms that the object is an Fe II nova near maximum.

Charts: A V sequence from Mati Morel and finder charts for Nova Lup 2011 (AUID 000-BKD-101) may be plotted by entering the name or the coordinates above into VSP: http://www.aavso.org/vsp

Reporting Observations: Please report all observations to the AAVSO International Database as NOVA LUP 2011 or N LUP 2011.

Observations reported to the AAVSO International Database: Aug 04.73 UT, 10.2 pg unfiltered (Nicholas Brown, Quinns Rocks, Western Australia, discovery image, tmax 400 film);
08.375, 10.3, R. Stubbings, Tetoora Road, Victoria, Australia;
08.4611, 10.3 pg green channel, R. Kaufman, Bright, Victoria,
Australia [vsnet-alert 13563];
08.0403, 10.3, Alexandre Amorim, Florianopolis, Brazil [vsnet-alert 13565];
08.0663, 10.3, Gonzalo Vargas Beltran, Cochabamba, Bolivia;
08.0768, 10.4, Vargas Beltran;

Notes:
a. Initially announced by Nicholas Brown in [vsnet-alert 13560] and in AAVSO Special Notice #247 (Arne Henden).

b. Brown reports that nothing is visible down to 11.7pg on film taken on 2011 July 5.85 UT, and that no previous variable stars are reported near or at this position.

c. Kaufman reports a moonlight-affected, green-channel color image (DSLR at 55mm) and an enlargement with magnitudes are available at:
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww271/Rob_Kau/PNVLupus8Aug2011text.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww271/Rob_Kau/PNVLupus8Aug2011gcmags.jpg

d. Morel notes that the nearest stars to above position in the USNO-B1.0 catalogue are :
B1.0 0349-0472601 (J2000) 14 54 22.92 -55 05 10.9
Ep. 1984.1 B2 =18.56 R2 =18.16
B1.0 0349-0472602 (J2000) 14 54 22.95 -55 05 09.6
Ep. 1985.9 B2 =19.56 R2 = 18.11
He also notes that, however, the DSS red plate shows only one (faint) object at the position of the B1.0 stars.

Congratulations to Nick Brown on his latest discovery!

This AAVSO Alert Notice was compiled by Elizabeth O. Waagen

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Filed under: AAVSO Alerts