Independent Discovery of a Rapidly-Evolving Nova in M31: PNV J00423617+4117178 = AT 2023ttu = ATLAS23tik
ATel #16265; K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic), H. Kucakova (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic), A. W. Shafter (SDSU)
on 2 Oct 2023; 19:43 UT
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (ashafter@sdsu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
We report the independent discovery of the rapidly-evolving nova PNV J00423617+4117178 = AT 2023ttu = ATLAS23tik found on 2023 Sep. 29.118 UT with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov as part of our on-going survey of the central region of M31. Although the presence of the new object was recognized during the course of our observations (10 x 90-s images), the announcement of the discovery was delayed due to the interruption of remote access to the raw data.
The object was independently discovered on Sep. 29.293 UT by G. Marrero-Ramallo et al. (LCOGT), see ATel #16263; by Y. Ren and J. Zhao on Sep. 29.359 UT and by the ATLAS team on Sep. 29.477 UT. Subsequently was spectroscopically confirmed as a nova with broad H-alpha emission by K. Taguchi (Kyoto University) and C. Balcon (Belluno A.O. ISSP), see AT 2023ttu.
The object was designated by us as M31N 2023-09c and is located at R.A. = 0h42m36s.14, Decl. = +41o17'17".9 (equinox 2000.0), which is 92.3" west and 69.4" north of the center of M31 (see link to discovery image below).
The following R-band magnitudes were obtained using the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov (D65):
Date [UT] | Mag | Err | Filter | Telescope>
2023-09-28.739 | <19.8 | | R | D65
2023-09-29.118 | 16.96 | 0.08 | R | D65
2023-09-29.137 | 16.78 | 0.09 | R | D65
2023-09-30.751 | 17.4 | 0.15 | R | D65
2023-09-30.852 | 17.5 | 0.1 | R | D65
2023-10-01.156 | 17.6 | 0.1 | R | D65
As with all extragalactic novae, follow-up spectroscopic and photometric observations to determine its spectroscopic class and rate of decline (speed class) are encouraged.
Discovery image
