Discovery of two new novae in M81
ATel #4074; Y. Cao (Caltech) and M. M. Kasliwal (Carnegie Institution for Science & Princeton University) on behalf of the Palomar Transient Factory collaboration
on 28 Apr 2012; 23:11 UT
Credential Certification: Yi Cao (smartcaoyi@gmail.com)
We report discovery of two new novae in M81.
PTF12cwl was discovered on UT 2012/04/09.31 with a magnitude of R=19.6 at
RA(J2000)=09:54:47.38 and DEC(J2000)=+69:04:41.7, 246" west and 47" north of
the center of M81. Nothing was there in an image
taken on 2012/04/08.36 with a limiting magnitude of R=20.2. Spectroscopic
follow-up was carried out on 2012/04/12 with Dual Imaging Spectrograph (DIS)
mounted on the ARC-3.5m telescope at the Apache Point Observatory (APO).
The spectrum shows prominent Balmer series and He 3886 Ang and He 4472 Ang lines. The
Halpha line has a FWHM of about 2,300 km/s. The spectral classification of
PTF12cwl is a He/N type classical nova.
PTF12cxy was discovered on 2012/04/16.15 with a magnitude of R=19.7 at
RA(J2000)=09:56:22.86 and DEC(J2000)=+69:07:35.3, 266" east and 220" north of
the center of M81. Nothing was there in an image
taken on 2012/04/10.51 with a limiting magnitude of R=20.3. We obtained its
spectrum on 2012/04/17 with DIS mounted on the ARC-3.5m
telescope at APO. The spectrum shows prominent Balmer series and FeII 5018 Ang
and FeII 5169 Ang lines. The Halpha line has a FWHM of about 3,000 km/s.
We classify PTF12cxy as an Fe II type classical nova in M81.
All photometric measurements are calibrated to the USNO-B1.0 catalog.
