SOAR spectroscopic classification of PNV J17261813-3809354 as a nova near visible peak
ATel #16440; E. Aydi, J. Strader, I. Molina, R. Kyer, L. Chomiuk, R. Urquhart (MSU), K. V. Sokolovsky (U. Illinois UC), D. A. H. Buckley (SAAO/UCT), M. Orio (UoW/INAF), J. Mikolajewska (NCAC)
on 10 Feb 2024; 15:36 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Elias Aydi (aydielia@msu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Binary, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova, Star, Transient, Variables
We report on optical spectroscopic follow-up of the optical transient PNV J17261813-3809354, which was discovered by Andrew Pearce, Nedlands, Western Australia, on 2024-02-09.84UT at an unfiltered visible magnitude of 7.3 mag. The transient was later reported to be detected by the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi gamma-ray telescope (ATel #16439).
On 2024-02-10.4 we obtained a low- and medium-resolution spectra of PNV J17261813-3809354 using the Goodman spectrograph (Clemens et al. 2004, SPIE, 5492, 331) on the 4.1m SOAR telescope. The spectra show absorption lines and P Cygni profiles of Balmer, Fe II, Na I, and O I. The absorption trough at Halpha is at a blueshifted velocity of around 1200 km/s. The spectra are that of a classical nova near visible peak. Follow up observations in all bands are encouraged.
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).
