Possible Nova in M31

ATel #1230; W. Pietsch (Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, MPE), V. Burwitz (MPE, & Observatorio Astronomico de Mallorca, OAM), R. Stoss (Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Heidelberg & OAM), A. Updike, D. Hartmann (Clemson University), P. Milne, G. Williams (University of Arizona)
on 6 Oct 2007; 23:33 UT
Credential Certification: Wolfgang Pietsch (wnp@mpe.mpg.de)

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We report the discovery of an optical nova candidate in M 31 on 5 stacked white light images (each with 60 sec exposure) on 2007 Oct 6.104 with a magnitude of 17.1. The images were obtained with the REMO2 telescope of the Observatori Astronomic de Mallorca OAM (620), Costitx, Spain (30cm f/9 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with an SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera). The object is confirmed on R filter CCD images with the robotic 60cm telescope with an E2V CCD (2kx2k) Livermore Optical Transient Imaging System (Super-LOTIS, located at Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA) on (two 8*60 s stacked, 17.1 and 17.2 mag) on 2007 Oct 6.336 and 6.429, respectively. The position for the nova candidate is RA = 00h42m55.95s, Dec(2000) = +41d03'22.0" (J2000, accuracy of 0.2"), which is 2' 11" east and 12' 46" south of the core of M 31. All magnitudes given are obtained from a photometric solution using R magnitudes of the Massey M 31 catalogue. No object is visible (limiting R magnitude of ~19.8) at the position of the nova candidate on Super-LOTIS images of 2007 Oct 4.338.