Optical Nova Candidate in M 31
ATel #1364; V. Burwitz, M. Henze, W. Pietsch (Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, MPE), A. Updike, D. Hartmann (Clemson University), P. Milne, G. Williams (University of Arizona)
on 21 Jan 2008; 16:23 UT
Credential Certification: Vadim Burwitz (burwitz@mpe.mpg.de)
Referred to by ATel #: 1380
We report the discovery of an optical nova candidate in M 31 on two 12*60sec
stacked R filter CCD images obtained 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).
The object was first detected on 2008 Jan 20.21 and 21.21
with respective magnitudes of 17.2 and 17.9.
The position for the nova candidate is
RA = 00h42m58.54s, Dec = 41d14'44.1" (J2000, accuracy of 0.3"),
which is 2'41" west and 1'25 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 ~18.5) at
the position of the nova candidate on Super-LOTIS images of 2008 Jan 19.21 and before.
Erratum: In ATel #1336 the date of the last pre nova observation should be 2007 Dec 17.19 and not 2007 Dec 18.19.