PSN J00150875-3912501 in NGC 55 is not a supernova
ATel #6548; S. B. Cenko (NASA/GSFC), M. M. Kasliwal (Carnegie Observatories), and Y. Cao (Caltech) report on behalf of a larger collaboration:
on 7 Oct 2014; 13:32 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Transients
Credential Certification: S. Bradley Cenko (cenko@astro.berkeley.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Supernovae, Transient, Variables
We obtained a low resolution spectrum of PSN J00150875-3912501 in NGC 55 (discoverer: Peter Marples, BOSS) with the Gemini South telescope using the GMOS-S spectrograph at 2014-10-06 23:59 UT. We see a blue continuum with deep P Cygni Balmer lines with an absorption minimum velocity of ~1040 km/s and Gaussian FWHM of ~700 km/s. In addition we note O I and Fe II multiplet lines. While we can rule out a bona fide supernova, continued photometric evolution will help to distinguish between a classical nova or an LBV eruption.
We thank the Gemini staff for rapid execution of this ToO observation.
