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SOAR spectroscopic classification of TCP J18265456-2719122 and TCP J17590439-3601111 as two Galactic Classical Novae

ATel #17012; E. Aydi (TTU), J. Strader, L. Chomiuk (MSU), and K. V. Sokolovsky (U. Illinois UC)
on 3 Feb 2025; 04:50 UT
Credential Certification: Elias Aydi (eaydi@ttu.edu)

Subjects: Optical, Binary, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova, Star, Transient, Variables

We report on optical spectroscopic observations of the optical transients TCP J18265456-2719122 and TCP J17590439-3601111. The first one was discovered by Y. Sakurai, Mito, Japan on UT 2025-01-26.86 at an unfiltered magnitude 9.0. The second one was discovered by Koichi Itagaki, Japan, on 2025-01-29.88 at an unfiltered magnitude of 10.6 (and independently by Andrew Pearce, Australia on 2025-01-29.84).

On 2025-01-31 we obtained low- and medium-resolution spectra of both transients using the Goodman spectrograph (Clemens et al. 2004, SPIE, 5492, 331) on the 4.1m SOAR telescope. The spectra of TCP J18265456-2719122 show strong and broad emission lines of H I, Fe II, O I, and Na I. The Balmer lines are characterized by a FWZI of around 6000 km/s. The spectra are that of a classical nova past optical peak brightness. The spectra of TCP J17590439-3601111 show P Cygni lines of H I, Fe II, and O I. The Balmer lines are characterized by a blueshifted absorption at around -1500 km/s. The spectra are that of a classical nova near optical peak brightness.

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).