Discovery and follow up observations of the likely Galactic Nova NMW-TTU-26bp (PNV J19450648+1822422)
ATel #18009; Katie Barnhart, Kirill Sokolovsky, Darien Perla, Pragati Acharya, John Worley, Anthony Pearce, Vallia Antoniou, Elias Aydi (TTU), Bassam Debs, and Omar Kilo (CNO).
on 25 Aug 2026; 18:04 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Elias Aydi (eaydi@ttu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Cataclysmic Variable, Nova, Star, Transient, Variables
We report the discovery of the likely Galactic nova NMW-TTU-26bp (PNV J19450648+1822422). The transient was discovered by the NMW-TexasTech survey on 2026-08-25.12 UTC at an unfiltered magnitude of 9.0. The transient position is consistent with the variable source Gaia DR3 1824166210904571136, located at 19:45:06.49 +18:22:42.1 (ICRS, epoch 2016.0), with no significant parallax. The Gaia G magnitude of the likely progenitor varies between 19.34 and 20.79. The outburst amplitude of more than 10 mag strongly suggests that the transient is a Galactic nova.
On 2026-08-25.2, we obtained BVR photometry with a 0.3-m telescope equipped with a QHY268M CMOS camera at the Preston F. Gott Skyview Observatory of Texas Tech University and measured:
2026-08-25.303 B = 8.18
2026-08-25.303 V = 7.75
2026-08-25.304 R = 7.40
On 2026-08-25.71, we obtained optical photometry using a ZWO Seestar S50 smart telescope located at the College National Orthodox (CNO) Observatory in El-Mina, Lebanon. The unfiltered magnitude of the transient, measured without de-mosaicking the color image, was 7.14 mag. The photometry was calibrated relative to Gaia G magnitudes. These observations indicate that the nova was still rising in brightness.
Spectroscopic follow-up obtained on 2026-08-25.43 and reported in ATel #18008 shows P Cygni profiles in the Balmer and He I lines, with blueshifted absorption velocities between 1200 and 1500 km/s. The absorption-dominated P Cygni profiles are characteristic of novae near optical maximum, when the emission lines are weak relative to the continuum. This suggests that, although the nova was still rising in brightness, it was likely approaching its peak visible brightness.
Further photometric and spectroscopic follow-up of this target is highly encouraged.
CBAT TCOP Discovery Report
