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Sunday, June 13, 2021

Bright Nova in Her - NOVA HERCULIS 2021

Following the posting on the Central Bureau's Transient Object Confirmation Page about a possible Nova in Her (TOCP Designation: TCP J18573095+1653396) we performed some follow-up of this object through a TEL 0.32-m f/8.0 reflector + CCD located in Nerpio, Spain and operated by iTelescope network (MPC Code I89).

On images taken on June 13.15, 2021 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with R-filtered CCD magnitude +6.2 at coordinates:

R.A. = 18 57 30.98, Decl.= +16 53 39.6

(equinox 2000.0; Gaia DR2 catalogue reference stars for the astrometry).

This nova has been discovered by  Seiji Ueda, Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan, at mag 8.4 on three 6-s exposures (limiting mag 13.0) taken with a Canon EOS 6D digital camera (+ 200-mm f/3.2 lens) on June 12.537 UT.

According to ATel #14704, a spectrum obtained by Munari et al. "has an overall blue shape and shows very pronounced broad absorptions (FWHM about 3000 km/s) compatible with P-Cyg components for Halpha, Hbeta and Hgamma blue-shifted by about 3100 km/s [...] Overall, the spectrum could be compatible with a nova of unusual large velocity". 

 

Our confirmation image (made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott):


 

An animation showing a comparison between our image and the archive POSS1 plate (1990-08-17):


 
A wide-field view with the nova at the centre:



UPDATE - June 16, 2021

According to CBET 4977, E. Kazarovets reports that the permanent GCVS designation V1674 Her has been given to this nova


by Ernesto Guido & Adriano Valvasori

1 comment:

  1. Awesome! Brightest nova I've seen since V705 CAS in 1993!

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