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M31 optical transient ROTSE3 J003842+405256

ATel #1158; F. Yuan, E. Rykoff, J. Aretakis, C. Akerlof (U. Mich.) and R. Quimby (U. Texas) on behalf of the ROTSE collaboration
on 26 Jul 2007; 23:11 UT
Credential Certification: Fang Yuan (yuanfang@umich.edu)

Subjects: Optical, Transient

Referred to by ATel #: 1159, 1161

We report the discovery of an optical transient ROTSE3 J003842+405256 in the outskirts of M31. The object, located at RA: 00:38:42.2 DEC: 40:52:56 (J2000, uncertainty < 1"), 45'30" west and 23'13" south (~10.4 kpc) from the core of M31, was detected in unfiltered CCD images taken by the ROTSE-IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory, Texas and the ROTSE-IIId telescope at the Turkish National Observatory at Bakirlitepe. The object was not detected to a limiting magnitude of ~18 before and on Jul 5. It was marginally detected at ~18.5 mag on Jul 10.98 by ROTSE-IIId and stayed around 18th mag for several days. The transient peaked at 17.4 ±0.3 on Jul 24.02 and dropped to 18.1 ± 0.1 on Jul 25.44 as observed by ROTSE-IIId and IIIb respectively. Note that there is a USNOB/POSSII object of R~19th about 4' northwest to the transient.

The quoted magnitudes are calibrated relative to USNO B1.0. Further information including a finding chart and light curve can be found at: http://www.rotse.net/transients/j0038+4052/index.html