AT2026rdg is a heavily reddened Nova in its early phase
ATel #17871; S. Basa (LAM), C. Adami (LAM), M. Dennefeld (IAP/CNRS & Sorbonne U.)
on 3 Jul 2026; 17:40 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Michel Dennefeld (dennefel@iap.fr)
We observed AT2026 at Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP) during the night of July 2d to 3d (2026.49863) with the Mistral spectrograph attached to the 1.93m telescope. Several exposures were obtained, covering the blue range (400-800nm) and the red range (600-1000nm), with R~~700. The object is a heavily reddened classical nova in its early phase. Emission lines of Hydrogen, Helium and OI are observed, also a few weak FeII lines, and several absorption lines as well (NaD, MgI, ...). The PCygni profiles at Halpha, HBeta and OI-777nm indicate an expansion velocity of ~ 1100 km/sec. The ratio of Halpha/HBeta emission is ~20, indicating a strong reddening, also seen from the shape of the continuum. These results are consistent with the findings of Munari et al (ATel 17867) and Tampo (ATel 17868). In view of its brightness, the object is worth further observations and is followed by the RAPAS group of Amateurs Astronomers.
