AT 2026aabo (ZTF26abramlb, ATLAS26kqn): a bright nova candidate in M31

ATel #18027; I. Perez-Fournon (IAC and ULL), F. Poidevin (IAC and ULL), A. Lopez-Oramas (IAC and ULL), D. Aguado (IAC and ULL), N. Abreu Garcia (ULL), D. Cano-Morales (ULL), I. Correa-Plasencia (ULL), A. E. Hernandez-Diaz (ULL), E. Lekaroz-Urriza (ULL), M. Magdalena-Rodriguez (ULL), M. Quintana-Ansaldo (ULL), D. Rodriguez-Fernandez (ULL), and J. Uribarri-Dermit (ULL)
on 2 Sep 2026; 11:55 UT
Credential Certification: Ismael Perez-Fournon (ipf@iac.es)

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We report ATLAS forced photometry of the bright nova candidate AT 2026aabo (ZTF26abramlb, ATLAS26kqn). This transient was discovered by Anirudh Salgundi on behalf of ZTF (TNS Astronomical Transient Report No. 321735), with a first ZTF detection on 2026-08-29 at 09:28:57 UT at a magnitude of g-ZTF = 18.578 +/- 0.100. Tonry et al. reported to TNS an ATLAS detection on 2026-08-30 at 11:20:11 UT at a magnitude of orange-ATLAS = 18.138 +/- 0.131. AT 2026aabo is located at R.A. = 00:44:54.262, Dec = +41:33:10.53 (ZTF coordinates, equinox J2000.0), which is about 1461".8 east and 1022".0 north of the center of M31.

Using the ATLAS forced-photometry server (Shingles et al. 2021, Transient Name Server AstroNote 2021-7), we find a strong and fast brightening of this transient. The following table gives the ATLAS forced-photometry significant detections. The magnitudes are in the AB system and not corrected for absorption.

# MJD m dm F Observation_ID
61281.458453 18.545 0.205 o 01a61281o0383o
61281.464415 18.664 0.214 o 01a61281o0396o
61281.467229 18.859 0.272 o 01a61281o0402o
61281.482103 18.294 0.163 o 01a61281o0434o
61282.472357 18.145 0.11 o 01a61282o0413o
61282.474191 18.106 0.163 o 01a61282o0417o
61282.50118 17.86 0.092 o 01a61282o0473o
61282.521449 18.061 0.111 o 01a61282o0515o
61283.462615 16.522 0.033 o 01a61283o0523o
61283.465355 16.585 0.036 o 01a61283o0529o
61283.470842 16.587 0.034 o 01a61283o0541o
61283.482964 16.496 0.027 o 01a61283o0567o
61283.53549 16.425 0.045 o 02a61283o0678o
61283.563981 16.477 0.039 o 02a61283o0737o
61283.566766 16.376 0.043 o 02a61283o0742o
61283.595043 16.336 0.038 o 02a61283o0801o
61284.459624 15.502 0.014 o 01a61284o0405o
61284.461961 15.522 0.014 o 01a61284o0410o
61284.464702 15.553 0.016 o 01a61284o0416o
61284.472107 15.539 0.014 o 01a61284o0432o


F = ATLAS filter (orange-ATLAS)

Spectral classification and other follow-up observations are encouraged.

This work is part of grant CEX2025-001609-S, awarded to the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias under the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence program and funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.