M31N 2026-01c is the sixth reported eruption of the recurrent nova M31N 1926-07c
ATel #17614; K. Hornoch, H. Kucakova (Ondrejov), A. W. Shafter (SDSU), M. Ning, Y. Ou, B. Shi, J. Xu, M. Zhang, H. Li, Z. Mai, L. Tang, W. Zhou, J. Zhao, G. Sun, J. Ruan, X. Gao, on behalf of the PSP team (Xingming Observatory), R. Fidrich, T. Tordai (HAA/VSS)
on 20 Jan 2026; 06:30 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (ashafter@sdsu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
M. Ning et al. recently reported a discovery of an apparent nova in M31 designated AT 2026aoj = PNV J00425236+4116133. An independent discovery of the new object designated as M31N 2026-01c was reported by K. Hornoch et al. (see ATel #17609) and as
Vend83 by R. Fidrich and T. Tordai.
As reported on the TNS and in ATel #17609, M31N 2026-01c was deemed a likely an outburst of the known recurrent nova M31N 1926-07c. To confirm it, we have carefully registered our co-added 1860-s R-band CCD image of M31N 2026-01c taken on 2026 Jan. 18.830 UT using the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov with an image of the 2008 eruption of the known recurrent nova M31N 1926-07c (= 1997-10f = 2008-08b = 2020-01b = 2022-09a) published in Shafter et al. (2015, ApJS, 216, 34). It reveals that the transients are spatially coincident to of order 0.5" (see the link to the comparison image below).
The probability of a chance positional coincidence of two unrelated novae with observed separation s ~ 0.5" at this position in M31 is ~3%. We conclude that M31N 2026-01c is indeed the sixth reported eruption of the recurrent nova M31N 1926-07c, observed nearly a century after the nova was first seen to erupt.
Spectroscopic classification and additional photometric observations to better characterize the light curve of M31N 2026-01c are encouraged.
Comparison Image: M31N 2008-08b (black); M31N 2026-01c (white)
