Independent Discovery of a Probable Nova in M31
ATel #16870; K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic), A. W. Shafter (SDSU)
on 20 Oct 2024; 19:35 UT
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (ashafter@sdsu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
Referred to by ATel #: 16874
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 2340-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2024 Oct. 19.807 UT with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov in poor sky conditions (dense cirrus clouds).
The object was independently discovered by G. Villa et al. (ATel #16869) and designated as ULL-ASTRO-MASTER-11, and by Z. Mai et al. (designated as PNV J00430343+4118310 = AT 2024ynw).
The object was designated by us as M31N 2024-10b and is located at R.A. = 0h43m03s.28, Decl. = +41o18'30".7 (equinox 2000.0), which is 213.7" east and 142.2" 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) and the 40-in reflector at SDSU's Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO):
Date [UT] | Mag | Err | Filter | Telescope
2024-10-19.191 | >19.7 | | R | MLO
2024-10-19.807 | 18.2 | 0.1 | R | D65
2024-10-20.229 | 17.95 | 0.05 | R | MLO
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
