SOAR spectroscopic classification of Gaia21dyi as a highly reddened classical nova
ATel #14880; E. Aydi, K. V. Sokolovsky, A. Kawash, J. Strader, L. Chomiuk (MSU)
on 28 Aug 2021; 09:03 UT
Credential Certification: Kirill Sokolovsky (kirx@scan.sai.msu.ru)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
We report on spectroscopic follow up of the optical transient
Gaia21dyi discovered on 2021-08-22.42 UT at a magnitude G = 14.86.
Gaia21dyi was suggested to be a reddened classical nova by Taichi
Kato [vsnet-alert 26177]. There is also a potential detection of
the transient by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SNe (ASAS-SN,
Shappee et al. 2014, ApJ, 788, 48) on 2021-08-23.9 at g = 16.93.
On 2021-08-28.1 we obtained low- and medium-resolution spectra with
the Goodman spectrograph (Clemens et al. 2004, SPIE, 5492, 331) on
the 4.1 m SOAR telescope. The spectra show a red continuum with
emission lines of Balmer, O I, Na I, N II, He I, and [NII].
Halpha is characterized by a double peaked emission and a P Cygni
profile with absorption trough at a blueshifted velocity of around
2300 km/s relative to the line center. The spectrum is that of
a highly reddened classical nova, possibly after optical peak.
We constrain the coordinates of the nova based on the SOAR images
to RA = 17:26:19.382 and Dec = -33:27:10.66 (ICRS), consistent with
the Gaia reported position.
This ATel is based on observations obtained at the Southern
Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope, which is a joint project
of the Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia, Inovacoes e Comunicacoes
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).
