Follow-up observations of DLT16am/AT2016ija with SEDM
ATel #9787; Nadejda Blagorodnova, James D. Neill, Mansi Kasliwal, Richard Walters, Sott M. Adams (Caltech)
on 24 Nov 2016; 03:24 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Transients
Credential Certification: Nadejda Blagorodnova (nblago@ast.cam.ac.uk)
Subjects: Optical, Transient
The discovery of DLT16am/AT2016ija on 2016 11 21.19 UT in the nearby galaxy NGC 1532 was reported by Tartaglia et. al. (ATel #9782). The most recent non-detection limit corresponds to R>20.7 mag on 2016-11-19.19 UT.
We have obtained follow-up observations with the Spectral Energy Distribution Machine (SEDM)(range 350-950nm, spectral resolution R~100) mounted on the Palomar 60-inch (P60) telescope. The spectrum, which has been reported to the TNS, shows a black body continuum of approximately 2,500 K and likely weak H alpha emission, although this could also be associated to emission coming from the host galaxy.
The unusually red spectrum, along with the absolute magnitude of the object, estimated to be around -13 mag in R-band, places this event in the family of gap transients, with luminosities between novae and supernovae. The origin of the event could be associated to the outburst in an obscured luminous blue variable (LBV), an intermediate luminosity red transient (ILRT) or a luminous red nova (LRN). Photometric and higher resolution spectroscopic follow-up observations are encouraged to resolve the origin of the outburst.
