Discovery of a Probable Slow Nova in M81
ATel #17002; K. Hornoch (Ondrejov), H. Kucakova (Charles University), A. W. Shafter (SDSU)
on 28 Jan 2025; 21:13 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (ashafter@sdsu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
We report the discovery of a slowly evolving nova candidate in M81 on a co-added 12120-s unfiltered CCD frame taken on 2025 Jan. 7.949 UT with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov. The new object is visible also on a few prediscovery CCD frames as well as on two CCD frames taken on Jan. 26.749 and 26.834 UT with the same instrumentation.
The object designated PNV J09545432+6908301 is located at R.A. = 9h54m54s.32, Decl. = +69o08'30".1 (equinox 2000.0), which is 207.9" west and 275.0" north of the center of M81 (see link to discovery image below).
Here we list the observing dates and corresponding photometry:
Date [UT] | Mag | Err | Filter | Telescope
2024-09-20.069 | >22.0 | | C | OND
2024-12-27.225 | >21.4 | | C | OND
2024-12-28.224 | 21.9 | 0.4 | C | OND
2024-12-29.232 | 21.7 | 0.4 | C | OND
2024-12-29.922 | 21.0 | 0.25 | C | OND
2024-12-31.194 | 21.6 | 0.3 | C | OND
2025-01-07.949 | 21.3 | 0.25 | C | OND
2025-01-26.749 | 20.7 | 0.15 | C | OND
2025-01-26.834 | 20.6 | 0.2 | C | OND
As with all extragalactic novae, follow-up spectroscopic and photometric observations to determine the nova's spectroscopic class and rate of decline (speed class) are encouraged. The OND 0.65-m is a reflecting telescope at the Ondrejov observatory operated jointly by the Astronomical Institute of ASCR and the Astronomical Institute of the Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic. It uses a Moravian Instruments G2-3200 MkII CCD camera (with a Kodak KAF-3200ME sensor and standard BVRI photometric filters) mounted at the prime focus. The unfiltered OND photometry was calibrated against R-band comparison stars from
Perelmuter & Racine (1995).
Discovery image