THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
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AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 344  (January 26, 2007)

SUBJECT: 1138-57 V1065 CEN = NOVA CENTAURI 2007

Event: Nova in Centaurus

Discovered By: William Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile

Discovery Date: on films taken near Jan. 23.354 UT

Discovery Magnitude: approximately 8.2, on two Technical Pan films taken with an 85-mm focal length camera lens and an orange filter

Position: R.A. = 11h 43.2m Decl. = -58o 03' (equinox 2000.0) from Liller.

R.A. = 11h 43m 10.33s Decl. = -58o 04' 04.3" (equinox 2000.0) from Bernard Heathcote, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, measured from his CCD images taken January 25.708 UT, and from Peter Nelson, Ellinbank, Victoria, Australia, measured from his CCDV image taken January 25.656 UT.

Position end figures 10.34s, 04.2" were reported by Chris Stockdale, Churchill, Victoria, Australia, measured on his image taken on Jan. 25.611 UT.

Liller reports seeing nothing brighter than magnitude 11.5 at his position on exposures taken January 15.36 UT. Also, nothing appears at this position on the "Real Sky Digitized Southern Sky Survey", encompassing images made with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring (limiting magnitude presumed 19 or fainter).

Spectra: A low-resolution spectrum by Heathcote shows strong H_alpha emission. F. M. Walter, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, reports that spectra obtained on Jan. 26.3 UT with the SMARTS 1.5-m telescope at Cerro Tololo, shows the new variable to be a classical nova near maximum.

AAVSO Chart(s): A chart of V1065 Cen by Mati Morel with a V sequence is available at http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=v1065%20cen

Report Object to the AAVSO as: 1138-57 V1065 CEN

How to Observe: visually or photometrically (V, Rc, or Ic filter)

Observations Reported to the AAVSO: Jan. 25.0313, 8.7, A. Amorim, Florianopolis, Brazil; 25.3236, 8.8, Amorim; 25.529, 8.3, A. Pearce, Nedlands, W. Australia; 25.611, 8.7V, Stockdale; 25.656, 8.5V, Nelson; 25.708, 9.08B and 8.59V, Heathcote.

Notes: a. Patrick Schmeer, Bischmisheim, Germany, reports that Heathcote's position is very close to a star of red mag 18.4 in the USNO-B1.0 catalogue with position end figures 10.24s, 04.5" and of red mag 17.1 in the Guide Star Catalog with position end figures 10.231s, 03.85".

b. The 2MASS catalogue contains an object at position end figures 10.12s, 04.1" (with magnitudes J = 16.6, K = 15.1).

b. N. N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, reports that N Cen 07 has been given the name V1065 Cen.

c. For more information, please see IAU Circular 8800, Daniel W. E. Green, ed.

Congratulations to Bill on his latest discovery!

Many thanks for your valuable astronomical contributions and your efforts.

Good observing!

Elizabeth O. Waagen
Senior Technical Assistant

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