Discovery of a Possible Nova in M33
ATel #6331; K. Hornoch (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic)
on 20 Jul 2014; 23:20 UT
Credential Certification: Allen W. Shafter (aws@nova.sdsu.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
I report the discovery of a possible nova in M33 on a co-added 1080-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2014 Jul. 20.070 UT with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov.
The object designated PNV J01340288+3035111 is located at R.A. = 1h34m02s.88, Decl. = +30o35'11".1 (equinox 2000.0), which is 154.6" east and 264.7" south of the center of M33 (see link to discovery image below).
The following R-band magnitudes were obtained using the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov:
2014 Mar. 14.796 UT, [20.7; Jul. 20.070, 18.5 ± 0.1.
A search for known variable sources close to the position of the PNV J01340288+3035111 reveals a variable object (with an average magnitude Sloan i' = 20.95 and amplitude ~ 0.3 mag in the same band on a scale of hundreds of days) designated No. 236977 in the Deep Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope photometric survey of the entire M33 galaxy - I. Catalogue of 36000 variable point sources, Hartman et al. (2006, MNRAS, 371, 1405). The variable object is located at R.A. = 1h34m02s.91, Decl. = +30o35'11".0 which is only ~ 0.5" from the position of the PNV J01340288+3035111. Although coordinates of both objects are nearly the same, the connection between them is questionable. First, the observed amplitude (~ 0.3 mag in the Deep Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope photometric survey) is much smaller than that currently observed (a few magnitudes at least); and second, many tens of images obtained during the last decade in the course of my survey of M33 does not show any object at the position of PNV J01340288+3035111 down to R ~ 21 mag. The high spatial density of stars in this part of M33 implies that chance positional coincidence of the two objects is possible.
Spectroscopic observations to confirm the nature of the PNV J01340288+3035111 are strongly encouraged.
I thank H. Kucakova for getting M33 images on Mar. 14.796 UT and M. Wolf for sharing his observing time on Jul. 20th.
Discovery image
