Presented at the 88th Spring Meeting of the AAVSO, July
3, 1999; revised October 2000
Abstract
Nova Velorum 1999-V382 Vel-was
discovered on May 22, 1999, and, at visual magnitude 2.5, was the brightest
nova in southern skies since Nova Puppis 1942. Observing campaigns to monitor
the nova were immediately established by the variable star observing sections
of the Latin American Astronomical League (LIADA) and the Brazilian
Observational Network REA, both amateur astronomy organizations. 44 observers
contributed 591 observations over 61 days. These observations have been reduced
to daily means in order to measure the statistical quality of the data during
the 1999 main observing window for the nova. The resulting light curve, with a
standard error less than 0.05 magnitude, is shown. Also shown are two pre-discovery
photographs of the nova, taken by Márcio Mendes and showing its dramatic rise
in brightness in 24 hours.