[ Previous | Next | ADS ]

ASAS-SN Discovery of a Very Young Galactic Nova Candidate ASASSN-17nj

ATel #10850; K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek, J. V. Shields, T. A. Thompson (OSU), L. Chomiuk, J. Strader (MSU), B. J. Shappee (IfA, Hawaii), T. W.-S. Holoien (Carnegie Observatories), J. L. Prieto (Diego Portales; MAS), Subo Dong (KIAA-PKU)
on 14 Oct 2017; 17:07 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Krzysztof Stanek (stanek.32@osu.edu)

Subjects: Optical, Nova

Referred to by ATel #: 10852, 10857, 10862

During the ongoing All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN, Shappee et al. 2014), using data from the quadruple 14-cm "Cassius" telescope in CTIO, Chile, we detect a new transient source, possibly a classical nova (could also be a bright CV), close to the Galactic center

 
Object       RA (J2000)    DEC (J2000)    Gal l (deg)   Gal b (deg)    Disc. UT Date   Disc. V mag  
ASASSN-17nj  17:30:34.18  -31:06:06.80      356.424      1.586         2017-10-14.01      14.0

ASASSN-17nj was discovered in images obtained on UT 2017-10-14.01 at V~14.0. We do not detect (V>17.4) this object in subtracted images taken on UT 2017-10-13.10, so this transient was less than 1-day old at the discovery epoch.

Using ASAS-SN Sky Patrol public all-sky light curve interface (Kochanek et al. 2017), we have retrieved aperture photometry time series at the location of ASASSN-17nj, and the resulting light curve can be seen at this link. No previous outbursts or variability are detected at the position of ASASSN-17nj since ASAS-SN started observing this location in March 2016.

Follow-up observations, especially multi-band photometry and spectroscopy, are strongly encouraged. If ASASSN-17nj is a classical nova, its color should be significantly affected by the large amount of interstellar extinction expected in this direction (A_V~12, Schlafly & Finkbeiner 2011).

We thank Las Cumbres Observatory and its staff for their continued support of ASAS-SN. ASAS-SN is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through grant GBMF5490 to the Ohio State University, NSF grant AST-1515927, the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation, the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP) at OSU, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences South America Center for Astronomy (CASSACA).