Special Notice #126: Possible Nova in Musca [Nova Mus 2008, QY Mus]

October 2, 2008

William Liller (Vina del Mar, Chile) has announced the discovery of a transient object in Musca [Nova Mus 2008, QY Mus], first detected on or about 2008 September 29.0.  The object was detected photographically (Tech-pan film + orange filter) at a magnitude of approximately 8.6 on 2008 Sept 28.9979 UT (JD 2454738.4979).  The presence of the new object has since been confirmed by P. Nelson (Ellinbank, Vic., Australia), V. Tabur (Wanniassa, ACT, Australia), P. Williams (Heathcote, NSW, Australia), and R. Stubbings (Tetoora Road, Vic., Australia).  Astrometry by P. Nelson yields the following coordinates:

RA: 13 16 36.44 , Dec: -67 36 47.85 (J2000)

with an error of 0.4 arcseconds.  This position matches that of NOMAD 0223-0514964 (13:16:36.47 , -67:36:47.9), but there are several faint stars within 10 arcseconds of this position.

Observations by V. Tabur, P. Williams, and R. Stubbings indicate the object reached maximum on or about 2008 Sept 30.4 (CV=8.07, JD 2454739.8974), and is declining rapidly.  The star was most recently reported at a visual magnitude of 9.4 on 2008 October 2.424 (JD 2454741.924; R. Stubbings) and at an unfiltered CCD magnitude of 9.11 on 2008 October 2.3986 (JD 2454741.8986; V. Tabur).  Photometry, both visual and instrumental, is urgently requested.  Neither the identification of the progenitor nor the classification as a nova areconfirmed.  Additional astrometry and (especially) spectroscopy are also requested to definitively classify this object and identify the progenitor.

Pending classification, the object has been assigned the name

VSX J131636.4-673647    (AUID 000-BFT-987)

A sequence has not yet been loaded into VSP, but finder charts may be plotted at the following URL: http://www.aavso.org/observing/charts/vsp/

Please report all observations to the AAVSO using the name "VSX J131636.4-673647" or the AUID 000-BFT-987.

Please report astrometric and spectroscopic observations to the AAVSO via email at aavso@aavso.org.

This AAVSO Special Notice was prepared by M. Templeton.

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