M31 optical transient ROTSE3 J003809.1+403726

ATel #2840; A. Romadan, N. Whallon, W. Zheng and F. Yuan (University of Michigan); J. Vinko (University of Szeged); R. Quimby (California Institute of Technology); Y. Chen, C. Akerlof, and S. B. Pandey (University of Michigan); J. C. Wheeler and E. Chatzopoulos (University of Texas), on behalf of the ROTSE collaboration
on 12 Sep 2010; 16:07 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Novae
Credential Certification: Weikang Zheng (zwk@umich.edu)

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We report the discovery of an optical transient ROTSE3 J003809.1+403726 in the outskirts of M31. The object, located at RA: 00:38:09.06 DEC: 40:37:25.9 (J2000, uncertainty < 1"), 51'43" west and 38'43' south (~13.2 kpc) from the core of M31, was detected in unfiltered CCD images taken by the ROTSE-IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory, Texas. The object was not detected to a limiting magnitude of ~19 before and on Aug. 17. It was first detected at ~18.7 mag on Sep. 3.30 UT and brightened in the following few days with magnitude of ~18.6 on Sep. 4.20, ~18.3 on Sep. 5.19, ~17.6 on Sep. 6.26 and reach a peak at ~17.1 on Sep. 7.24 UT. It then started to decay at ~18.0 on Sep. 12.17 UT. Note that there is a faint USNOB1.0 1306-0010413 star at R2 mag 19.6 at the same location. The quoted ROTSE magnitudes are calibrated relative to USNO B1.0. Further information including a finding chart and light curve can be found at: http://www.rotse.net/transients/j003809.1+403726/ROTSE3-J003809.1 +403726.jpg http://www.rotse.net/transients/j003809.1+403726/ROTSE3-J003809.1 +403726_lc.png