Correction to ATel 1152: Optical Spectroscopy of Nova M31N 2007-07c
ATel #1153; A. Rau (California Institute of Technology), V. Burwitz (Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, MPE & ObservatoriAstronomic de Mallorca), D. Hatzidimitriou (University of Crete) & S. B. Cenko (California Institute of Technology)
on 24 Jul 2007; 17:00 UT
Credential Certification: Arne Rau (arne@astro.caltech.edu)
Referred to by ATel #: 1299
The Author list was incomplete in ATel#1152.
On 2007 July 21.46 UT a spectrum of the nova candidate M31N 2007-07c
(see ATel#1146, ATel#1149) was obtained with Double-Beam Spectrograph
on the Palomar Hale-5m telescope. The 400/6000 grism (3.5 angstrom
FWHM) and 158/7500 grating (8.6 angstrom FWHM) were used with 1200s
exposure, each.
The H-alpha line displays a P-Cygni profile. The measured expansion
velocity is -1630+/-20 km/sec (blue shifted), based on measurements
of the Ca H+K lines, the G Band, H-beta, Mg lines and the near-infrared
Ca-triplet. Taking into account the average radial velocity of M31
of about -300 km/sec, the actual expansion velocity for the nova is
estimated to be approximately 1330 km/sec.
Further CCD imaging at the 1.3m Ritchey Chretien f/7.5 telescope at
Skinakas Observatory, Crete, Greece showed the nova at a brightness of
R=16.4, 15.8, 16.0, 17.1 (photometric solution based on Massey M31
catalogue) on 2007 July 20.0078, 21.0425, 22.0720, 24.0462 UT.
We also have obtained unfiltered CCD images obtained with the 0.35m f/2
reflector of the Observatorio Astronomico de La Sagra, Spain on
2007 07 19.094, 20.054, 21.091, 22.016, 22.966, 24.140 that give us
R = 18.3, 16.2, 15.4, 15.5, 16.5, 16.8 (photometric solution based on
USNO-B1.0 catalogue).
The photometric evolution shows that the nova reached its maximum
brightness in R around 2007 July 21 at about the same time as the
spectrum was taken.
Novae like this, brighter than 16 mag in R stand, out among the ~20 novae
expected in the central area of M31.