[vsnet-alert 7553] Probable nova in the SMC (Liller)

[Taichi Kato <tkato@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp>]

Probable nova in the SMC (Liller)

Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 11:35:47 -0400
From: "W.Liller" <wliller@compuserve.com>
Subject: Probable nova in the SMC

Hola everyone -

On two 90-second exposures (20-cm Schmidt, TP film, no filter) taken at
U.T. Oct 16.1967 and 16.1995, I found a new stellar object at magnitude
12.3.

Last night at U.T Oct 17.2042 using a CCD, I measured the candidate to have
a broadband V magnitude, V(bb) = 12.66 +/- 0.08, and its position to be
(2000) RA = 0h 56m 30.4s +/- 0.15s, and Dec = -72d 36' 29.4" +/- 1.08". 
This location is near the center of the SMC in an extremely crowded field. 
It is located 8.8' south of the eastern edge of the bright compact cluster
NGC 330.

No star brighter than magnitude 14 was seen  on the most recent pair of
exposures of the field taken at U.T Oct 9.29.  

It should be noted that this position is 36"west and 5" south of the
position given for a known variable star, V1300 = Sand 64 in the GCVS
(General Catalogue of Variable Stars).   This star is clearly seen on both
the discovery films and the CCD frames.  According to the latter, the V(bb)
of V1300 was 13.66.  In the GCVS, the maximum and minimum V magnitudes of
this variable are given as 13.58 and 13.65, and the spectral type as B1 I.

For the magnitude measurement I used three comparison stars with Tycho
magnitudes converted to the V-system: GSC 9141 7553,  9141 7709, and 9141
7757.  For the position determination I used these stars plus GSV 9141 7723
and 9141 7588.

I will try for a spectrum tonight, but the faintness of the candidate and
the brightness of the nearly full moon will make this difficult.  

Please, can someone help?  SMC novae are rare beasties !

All the best to all,   Bill/William Liller

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