Discovery of a Probable Nova in M81

ATel #15896; K. Hornoch (Ondrejov), H. Kucakova, M. Wolf (Charles University), S. C. Williams (Turku), G. Sala, J. Jose (UPC-IEEC), B. Stecklum (TLS), M. J. Darnley (LJMU), A. Kaur (PSU), D. H. Hartmann (Clemson), A. W. Shafter (SDSU)
on 11 Feb 2023; 05:08 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (ashafter@sdsu.edu)

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The M81 nova monitoring collaboration reports the discovery of a probable nova in M81 on a co-added 3510-s unfiltered CCD frame taken on 2023 Feb. 10.934 UT with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov. The probable nova is visible also on a prediscovery image taken on Feb. 9.788 UT with the same instrumentation.

The object designated PNV J09560893+6902443 is located at R.A. = 9h56m08s.93, Decl. = +69o02'44".3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 191.7" east and 70.8" south of the center of M81 (see link to discovery image below).

Here we list the observing dates and corresponding photometry:

 
  Date [UT]    |  Mag   | Err  | Filter  | Telescope> 
 
2023-02-06.974 | <21.9  |      | C       | OND  
2023-02-07.758 | <20.7  |      | C       | OND  
2023-02-09.788 |  19.9  | 0.25 | C       | OND  
2023-02-10.934 |  18.6  | 0.1  | C       | OND  
 

As with all extragalactic novae, follow-up spectroscopic and photometric observations to determine the nova's spectroscopic class and rate of decline (speed class) are encouraged.

The OND 0.65-m is a reflecting telescope at the Ondrejov observatory operated jointly by the Astronomical Institute of ASCR and the Astronomical Institute of the Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic. It uses a Moravian Instruments G2-3200 MkII CCD camera (with a Kodak KAF-3200ME sensor and standard BVRI photometric filters) mounted at the prime focus. The unfiltered OND photometry was calibrated against R-band comparison stars from Perelmuter & Racine (1995).

Discovery image