THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Tel. 617-354-0484 Fax 617-354-0665 http://www.aavso.org * * * AAVSO NEWS FLASH * * * Subject: 1833-33 NOVA SAGITTARII 2003 No. 1150 April 27, 2003 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1833-33 NOVA SAGITTARII 2003 We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (IAU Circular 8123) that a nova in Sagittarius has been discovered independently by Nicolas J. Brown, Quinns Rocks, W. Australia, on April 25.73 UT at magnitude 8.9 (T-Max 400 film), and by Minoru Yamamoto, Doi-machi, Okazaki, Japan, on April 26.735 UT at photographic magnitude 9.6. R. Kushida, Yatsugatake South Base Observatory, Japan, obtained an exposure on Apr. 27.677 UT and found the nova to be magnitude 9.3 CCD; Y. Kushida measured the exposure and finds the following precise position for the object: R.A.= 18h 40m 02.54s Decl. = -33o 26' 55.1" (2000.0) (IAU Circular 8123) This object is located very close to the Mira variable V2377 Sgr. However, there is no question that the object is a nova and not the Mira variable: V2377 Sgr appeared at CCD magnitude 11.3 on Kushida's exposure at R.A. = 18h 40m 00.73s Decl. = -33o 27' 49.6" (2000.0) (IAU Circular 8123). Spectroscopy by L. Skuljan, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, obtained around April 27.67 UT indicates the object to be a nova (IAU Circular 8123). Additional information on N Sgr 03 may be found in IAU Circular 8123. An AAVSO chart will be issued shortly. A CCDRc image showing the location of the nova and obtained on April 27.46 UT by Douglas West, Mulvane, KS, has been posted by him at the URL http://members.aol.com/dwest61506/page70.html. We have received the following magnitude estimates of 1833-33 N SGR 03: UT Mag. Initials APR 27.46 9.65V +/-0.06 WDJ APR 27.46 8.90Rc +/-0.06 WDJ APR 27.531 9.0 SRX APR 28.1 9.0 SQH We congratulate Nicolas Brown and Minoru Yamamoto on their independent discoveries! We thank the following observers for the data that they have provided for this News Flash: SQH - R. SHIDA, BRAZIL SRX - R. STUBBINGS, AUSTRALIA WDJ - D. WEST, USA Please monitor this bright nova closely and phone-in, fax, or e-mail your observations to the AAVSO. Good observing! Elizabeth O. Waagen, Senior Technical Assistant on behalf of Janet A. Mattei, Director ____________________________________________________________________________ Symbols include: CCDV = Charge-coupled device with (V) filter CCDRc = Charge-coupled device with (Rc) filter If you would like to contribute to AAVSO NEWS FLASH, please send observations of unusual variable star activity to: observations@aavso.org Those who wish to subscribe (free of charge) or unsubscribe to NEWS FLASH may do so by visiting the following web page: http://www.aavso.org If you would like data from the AAVSO International Database for research purposes, please send your request to: Janet Mattei, AAVSO Director, at aavso@aavso.org An archive of past issues of the News Flash is available at the following web page: http://www.aavso.org/newsflash/ We look forward to including your observations in future editions of AAVSO NEWS FLASH! ____________________________________________________________________________