Following the posting on the Central Bureau's Transient Object Confirmation Page and on VSNET-Alert 13560 about a possible Nova in Lup we performed some follow-up of this object remotely through the 2.0-m f/10.0 Ritchey-Chretien + CCD of Faulkes Telescope South (MPC Code - E10).
On our images taken on August 13.5, 2011 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with filtered R-Bessel CCD magnitude 8.4 (USNO-B1.0 Catalogue reference stars) at coordinates:
On our images taken on August 13.5, 2011 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with filtered R-Bessel CCD magnitude 8.4 (USNO-B1.0 Catalogue reference stars) at coordinates:
R.A. = 14 54 23.09, Decl.= -55 05 11.2
(equinox 2000.0; USNO-B1.0 catalogue reference stars).
Our BRV image of Nova Lup (click on it for a bigger version):
Below you can see an animation showing a comparison between our image and the archive POSS2/UKSTU plate (R Filter - 1999). Click on the thumbnail for a bigger version:
Astronomers at Stony Brook University report on The Astronomer's Telegram 3536 that a spectrum of the possible Nova Lup has been obtained on 2011 Aug 9 at 00h19mUT. This was obtained with the SMARTS 1.5m RC spectrograph at Cerro Tololo and confirms that the eruptive object in Lupus is an Fe II nova near maximum. The spectrum (3700-5400A at 4.1 A resolution) shows the Balmer lines of hydrogen (H-beta through H-10), and Fe II multiplet 42, in emission with P Cygni absorption components at a velocity of about -1000 km/s. The equivalent width of H-beta is about -130 A.
by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes and Giovanni Sostero
