SOAR spectroscopic classification of ASASSN-20ni as a classical nova likely associated with the SMC
ATel #14123; E. Aydi, J. Strader, L. Chomiuk, A. Kawash, K. V. Sokolovsky (MSU), M. L. Wood (UNC), K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek (OSU), B. J. Shappee (Univ. of Hawaii), D. A. H. Buckley (SAAO), and M. Orio (UoW/INAF)
on 27 Oct 2020; 15:55 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
Referred to by ATel #: 14137
We report on spectroscopic classification of the optical transient ASASSN-20ni, which was discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SNe (ASAS-SN, Shappee et al. 2014, ApJ, 788, 48) on 2020-10-26.02UT, towards the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). On 2020-10-27.36, we obtained a medium-resolution spectrum using the Goodman spectrograph (Clemens et al. 2004, SPIE, 5492, 331) on the 4.1 m SOAR telescope, covering wavelength range of 6200-7200 A. The spectrum shows P Cygni profiles of Halpha, N II, and Fe II. The absorption trough of the P Cygni profile of Halpha is at around -550 km/s. The overall spectrum is that of a classical nova in the pre-maximum phase.
The latest ASAS-SN Sky Patrol light curve (Kochanek et al. 2017, PASP, 129, 4502) is still showing a rise to peak: https://asas-sn.osu.edu/light_curves/8c93fac8-77d5-4836-8332-b72559c20990. We encourage follow up observations in all bands.
This ATel is based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações do Brasil (MCTIC/LNA), the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).
