Independent Discovery of a Probable Bright Nova in M31

ATel #16359; K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic), H. Kucakova (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic), A. W. Shafter (SDSU)
on 4 Dec 2023; 17:13 UT
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (ashafter@sdsu.edu)

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We report the independent discovery of a probable nova found during our survey of the central region of M31. The object was discovered on a co-added 420-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2023 Dec. 4.020 UT with the Danish 1.54-m telescope at La Silla Observatory.

The object was independently discovered by M. Zhang et al. and designated as PNV J00422755+4111086 = AT 2023yqt.

The object was designated by us as M31N 2023-12a and is located at R.A. = 0h42m27s.49, Decl. = +41o11'08".2 (equinox 2000.0), which is 189.9" west and 300.3" south of the center of M31 (see link to discovery image below).

The following R-band magnitudes were obtained using the Danish 1.54-m telescope (DK154) and the 40-in reflector at SDSU's Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO):

 
  Date [UT]    |  Mag   | Err  | Filter  | Telescope 
 
2023-12-03.163 | <21.1  |      | R       | MLO 
2023-12-04.020 |  16.25 | 0.03 | R       | DK154 
 

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

Discovery image