SOAR classification of ASASSN-19qv as a classical nova in the SMC
ATel #12907; E. Aydi, J. Strader, L. Chomiuk, A. Kawash, K. V. Sokolovski, K. Dage (MSU), L. Macri (TAMU), K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek, P. Vallely (OSU), B. J. Shappee (Univ. of Hawaii), J. Prieto (Universidad Diego Portales), and D. A. H. Buckley (SAAO)
on 7 Jul 2019; 02:13 UT
Credential Certification: Elias Aydi (eaydi@saao.ac.za)
Subjects: Optical, Binary, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova, Star, Transient, Variables
Referred to by ATel #: 12917
We report on optical spectroscopic observations of the transient ASASSN-19qv which was discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN: Shappee et al. 2014; Kochanek et al. 2017) on 2019-07-04.28 UT as a rapid, bright outburst in the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC).
We obtained a 500 s low-resolution spectrum of ASASSN-19qv with the Goodman spectrograph on the SOAR telescope on 2019-07-06.34 UT. The spectrum shows a continuum peaking in the blue at around 4500 - 4600 A and is dominated by P Cygni profiles of H I, Fe II, Na I, and O I. The absorption features in the P Cygni profiles are at a velocity of -900 to -1000 km/s relative to the rest wavelength of the lines (and not corrected for the SMC radial velocity). The peak of the emission lines are at a radial velocity of ~ 300 +\- 100 km/s. The overall spectrum and the current magnitude of the system (g ~ 11 and rising) indicate that the outburst is likely a fast classical nova in the SMC.
Follow up observations are strongly encouraged in all bands.
