Recurrent Nova M31N 2008-12a: spectroscopic confirmation of the 2016 eruption
ATel #9852; M. J. Darnley (LJMU), P. Rodriguez-Gil (IAC/ULL), J. Prieto-Arranz (IAC/ULL), for a larger collaboration
on 12 Dec 2016; 23:21 UT
Credential Certification: Matt Darnley (M.J.Darnley@ljmu.ac.uk)
Subjects: Optical, Nova, Transient
Referred to by ATel #: 9853, 9861, 9865, 9872, 9874, 9881, 9883, 9885, 9891, 9906, 9907
ATel #9848 reported the discovery of the 2016 eruption of the recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a (see Darnley et al. 2014, 2015, 2016 and Henze et al. 2014, 2015a, 2015b for full multi-wavelength descriptions of the past three eruptions).
The Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) obtained a 1500s spectrum of the 2016 eruption at 2016 Dec 12.86 UT with the ALFOSC instrument, the Liverpool Telescope (LT; Steele et al. 2004) obtained a 900s SPRAT (Piascik et al. 2014) spectrum of this eruption at Dec 12.88 UT.
These spectra show clear detection of Hα, Hβ, Hγ, and Hδ emission lines on top of the detected continuum. Preliminary analysis also reveals evidence of H I and N II emission lines. These spectra again confirm the He/N nova nature of this transient. Both spectra are similar to the early time spectra obtained after the 2015 eruption (Darnley et at. 2016).
Follow-up observations at all wavelengths are strongly encouraged.
