DDOTI/OAN detection of the new transient AT 2024pns
ATel #16713; Margarita Pereyra (UNAM), Rosa L. Becerra (UTOV), Nat Butler (ASU), Alan M. Watson (UNAM), Simone Dichiara (PSU), Eleonora Troja (UTOV), Camila Angulo (UNAM), William H. Lee (UNAM), Alexander Kutyrev (GSFC/UMD), Tsvetelina Dimitrova (ASU), and Océlotl Lopez (UNAM)
on 17 Jul 2024; 08:50 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Transients
Credential Certification: Margarita Pereyra (mpereyra@astro.unam.mx)
Subjects: Optical, Gravitational Waves, Nova, Transient
Referred to by ATel #: 16721
DDOTI is a wide-field telescope robotic telescope at the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional (OAN) on Sierra San Pedro Martir (DDOTI/OAN), dedicated to monitoring the sky for the search of Gravitational Wave counterparts in the optical range. From 2024-06-15 to date, DDOTI has been routinely monitoring the localization region of S240615dg GW event.
We report the detection of a new transient found inside S240615dg field, at AR = 00:44:35.420 DEC = +41:09:39.30, for observations performed on 2024-07-16 07:43:35 UTC. DDOTI did not observed on 2024-07-15 due to bad weather conditions (clouds) and cannot confirm
AT2024pns first detection reported on 2024-07-15 16:26:13 UTC. Nevertheless, DDOTI observations on 2024-07-14 07:40:56 UTC are consistent with the last non detection reported by ATLAS-MLO on 2024-07-14 13:04:48 UTC.
On 2024-07-16 07:43:35 UTC, DDOTI clearly detected the source at 16.73 +/- 0.01 mag in white filter. Compared with the
AT2024pns discovery magnitude of 17.3 magnitudes in clear filter, on 2024-07-15 16:26:13 UTC, our observations might suggest the source is brightening in the optical. DDOTI/OAN observations will continue monitoring the source as part of the follow-up campaign for S240615dg field.
AT 2024pns is 2.3 arcsec from a PS1 source (r = 22 mag) and only 12 arcsec away from the X-ray source XMMM31 J004434.5+410944. Photometric and spectroscopic monitoring is highly encouraged to determine the true nature of the new transient and whether it could be related to M31.
We thank the staff of the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional in San Pedro Martir.
