Discovery of a new nova in M31
ATel #4127; Y. Cao (Caltech), B. Sesar (Caltech) and M. M. Kasliwal (Carnegie Institute for Science & Princeton University) on behalf of the Palomar Transient Factory collaboration
on 25 May 2012; 17:00 UT
Credential Certification: Yi Cao (smartcaoyi@gmail.com)
A new nova candidate, PTF12ejs, was discovered on UT 2012/05/12.49
with a magnitude of R=18.4 mag at RA(J2000)=00:44:12.29, Dec(J2000)=+41:00:50.5.
Nothing was there in an image taken on 2012/02/06.10 with a limiting magnitude of
R=19.2 mag. Photometric measurements are calibrated to the USNO-B1.0 catalog.
Spectroscopic follow-up was carried out on UT 2012/05/20 with the Double
Spectrograph mounted on the 200-inch Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory.
The spectrum shows weak continuum with prominent emission lines, including Balmer
series, OI 7773, OI 8446, Ca II triplet and Fe lines around 5000 Angstrom. The
Halpha has a FWHM of ~1,000 km/s. The spectrum shows that PTF12ejs is a Fe II nova
in M31.
