New optical nova candidate in M 31

ATel #2383; V. Burwitz (Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, MPE ; Observatorio Astronomico de Mallorca, OAM), W. Pietsch, M. Henze (MPE), A. Updike (Clemson University, CU), P. Milne, G. Williams (University of Arizona), D. H. Hartmann (CU), J. Rodriguez (OAM); S. Holmes, U. Kolb, and R. Lucas, (The Open University, OU)
on 12 Jan 2010; 13:13 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Vadim Burwitz (burwitz@mpe.mpg.de)

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We report the discovery of a possible nova in M 31 on two 10x60s stacked R filter CCD images obtained with the robotic 60cm telescope with an E2V CCD (2kx2k, 13.5 micron sq. pixels) of the Livermore Optical Transient Imaging System (Super-LOTIS, located at Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA) on 2010 January 11.13 and 12.09 UT with respective R magnitudes of 17.6, 16.3. This source was also detected on a 11x120s stacked unfiltered image obtained with the 0.35-m f/11 OU/OAM PIRATE Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (+ SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera) at Costitx, Mallorca, Spain on 2010 Jan. 11.77 with a corresponding R magnitude of 16.5.
The position for the nova candidate is RA = 00h42m56.74s, Dec = +41d17'21.0" (J2000, accuracy of 0.3"), which is 140" east and 72" north of the core of M 31.
All magnitudes given are obtained from a photometric solution using R magnitudes of the Local Group Survey M 31 catalogue (Massey et al. 2006, AJ 131, 2478).
No object is visible at the position of the nova candidate on a Super-LOTIS image of 2010 January 9.09 UT (limiting R magnitude at the position of 18.5).
There is no entry in VizieR/CDS for this object and no minor planet could be found on this position using the MPC/IAU Minor Planet Checker (see http://scully.harvard.edu/~cgi/CheckMP ).