SALT spectroscopic classification of PNV J17580848-3005376 as a very fast classical nova
ATel #13872; E. Aydi (MSU), D. A. H. Buckley (SAAO), L. Chomiuk (MSU), A. Kawash (MSU), Kwan-Lok Li (NTHU). M. Orio (UoW/INAF), K. Sokolovsky, J. Strader (MSU), P. Schmeer (AAVSO), K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek (OSU), and B. J. Shappee (Univ. of Hawaii)
on 17 Jul 2020; 12:13 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Elias Aydi (eaydi@saao.ac.za)
Subjects: Optical, Binary, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova, Star, Transient, Variables
We report on high-resolution optical spectroscopy of the transient PNV J17580848-3005376, which was discovered by Shigehisa Fujikawa, Kan'onji, Kagawa, Japan on 2020-07-16.51UT.
On 2020-07-16.97.UT we obtained a 900 s spectrum using the High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS; Crause et al. 2014, Proc. SPIE, 91476) mounted on the 11m Southern African Large Telescope as part of the SALT Large Science Program on Transients. The observations were taken in the LR mode of HRS which covers the spectral range of 3800-8900 A at a resolution of R=14000. The data were reduced with the SALT HRS MIDAS pipeline (Kniazev et al. 2016, MNRAS 459, 3068).
The spectrum shows broad emission lines of Balmer, O I, Fe II, and Na I. The FWHM of Halpha is around 4500 km/s. The lines are very broad that many lines are merged. The spectrum is that of a very fast classical nova.
Based on the ASAS-SN (Shappee et al. 2014ApJ...788...48S and Kochanek et al. 2017PASP..129j4502K) data: https://asas-sn.osu.edu/light_curves/4c0bd99e-3edd-4bdb-996f-be39ec5755b8
the eruption might have started between 2020 July 10 and 15.
Follow up observations in all bands are encouraged.
