Discovery of a Probable Nova in M81

ATel #10290; R. Belligoli, F. Castellani, C. Marangoni, F. Marziali (OMB-CAV), K. Hornoch (Ondrejov), M. Henze (CSIC-IEEC), G. Sala, J. Jose, J. Figueira (UPC-IEEC), M. Hernanz (CSIC-IEEC), H. Kucakova (Charles University), S. C. Williams (Lancaster), H. Meusinger (TLS), M. J. Darnley (LJMU), A. Kaur, D. H. Hartmann (Clemson), A. W. Shafter (SDSU)
on 20 Apr 2017; 09:28 UT
Credential Certification: Martin Henze (henze@ice.cat)

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The extended M81 nova monitoring collaboration reports the discovery of a probable nova in M81 on pair of co-added 3900-s and 4200-s unfiltered CCD frames taken on 2017 Apr. 18.799 UT and 18.848 UT, respectively with the 0.4-m telescope at the Monte Baldo Observatory, Verona, Italy (MBO). The probable nova is also visible on a prediscovery R-band image taken on Apr. 18.086 UT with the 0.80-m telescope Joan Oro (TJO).

The object designated PNV J09551279+6900093 is located at R.A. = 9h55m12s.79, Decl. = +69o00'09".3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 109.4" west and 225.8" south of the center of M81 (see link to discovery image below).

Here we list the observing dates and corresponding photometry:

 
  Date [UT]    |  Mag  | Err  | Filter  | Telescope 
2017-04-16.857 | <21.3 |      | C       | OND 
2017-04-17.086 | <21.5 |      | R       | TJO 
2017-04-18.086 |  20.0 | 0.3  | R       | TJO 
2017-04-18.801 |  19.9 | 0.3  | C       | MBO 
 

The MBO 0.4-m is a Ritchey-Chretien F/8 telescope at the Monte Baldo Observatory, Ferrara di Monte Baldo, Verona, Italy. It uses a Moravian Instruments G4-9000 CCD camera (with a Kodak KAF-9000 sensor). The TJO is a 80-cm Ritchey-Chretien F/9.6 telescope at the Observatori Astronomic del Montsec, owned by the Catalan Government and operated by the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Spain. It uses a Finger Lakes PL4240-1-BI CCD Camera with a Class 1 Basic Broadband coated 2k x 2k chip with 13.5 microns square pixels. The OND 0.65-m is a reflecting telescope at the Ondrejov observatory operated jointly by the Astronomical Institute of ASCR and the Astronomical Institute of the Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic. It uses a Moravian Instruments G2-3200 CCD camera (with a Kodak KAF-3200ME sensor and standard BVRI photometric filters) mounted at the prime focus. The MBO photometry is based on the NOMAD catalog. The TJO photometry is based on the SDSS DR7 photometry catalogue. The unfiltered OND photometry was calibrated against R-band comparison stars from Perelmuter & Racine (1995).

Discovery image