Independent Discovery of a Probable Nova in M31

ATel #5092; K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic), H. Kucakova (Astronomical Institute, Charles U., Prague, Czech Republic), J. Gorosabel (UPV/EHU and IAA/CSIC, Spain), P. Kubanek (Institute of Physics ASCR, Czech Republic)
on 29 May 2013; 16:19 UT
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (aws@nova.sdsu.edu)

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We report the independent discovery of a probable nova in M31 on a co-added 1080-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2013 May 29.033 UT with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov and on a co-added 630-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2013 May 29.151 UT with the 1.23-m telescope at Calar Alto.

The object designated by us as PNV J00425563+4114125 (first detected by Hofmann et al., ATel #5091) is located at R.A. = 0h42m55s.63, Decl. = +41o14'12".5 (equinox 2000.0), which is 127.5" east and 116.0" south of the center of M31 (see link to discovery image below).

We obtained the following R-band magnitudes: 2013 May 26.070 UT, [19.0 (0.65-m at Ondrejov); 29.033, 17.8 +/- 0.1 (0.65-m at Ondrejov); 29.151, 17.9 +/- 0.1 (1.23-m at Calar Alto). These magnitudes are consistent with fast decay rate of the object (ATel #5091).

Our astrometry of the PNV J00425563+4114125 makes possible that it is another outburst of recurrent nova candidate M31N 1960-12a, rather than recurrent nova candidate M31N 1962-11b (ATel #5091), which was located ~4" away from the position of the PNV J00425563+4114125, see M 31 (apparent) optical nova catalogue and references therein.

Discovery image