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: 0733-25 N? PUP 00 No. 717 (POSSIBLE NOVA IN PUPPIS) JANUARY 1, 2001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0733-25 N? PUP 00 - POSSIBLE NOVA IN PUPPIS We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (IAU Circular 7552) that T. Kato, Kyoto University, reported a discovery by Kazuyoshi Kanatsu (Matsue, Shimane, Japan) of a new variable star (possibly a nova) at magnitude 8.7 present on his T-Max 400 film, taken on Dec. 22.731 UT. Kanatsu found no apparent counterpart on the Digitized Sky Survey. K. Takamizawa (Saku-machi, Nagano) reports that the object was not present in images of the field taken with 22 T-Max 400 film between 1994 March 14 and 1999 December 3 (limiting magnitude of 14) and notes that there is a close companion star of magnitude 14.5 which appears to be red (red magnitude 13.6) according to the USNO A2.0 catalog. The position of the apparent nova is: R.A.=07h 37m 58s Decl.=-25 degrees 56' 51" (equinox 2000.0) Observations received by the AAVSO of this possible nova are as follows: Dec. 30.772, 9.0, OB; Dec. 31.0743, 9.1, OSE; Dec. 31.3056, 9.2, OSE; Dec. 31.3225, 9.1 CCDV, PCH. An AAVSO Alert Notice (complete with the Harvard Designation) and chart will be forthcoming (www.aavso.org). Until an AAVSO chart is available, observers may wish to use the chart provided by Reinder Bouma and Edwin van Dijk which uses Hipparcos/Tycho magnitudes. The chart can be found at: www.shopplaza.nl/astro/vs-charts/novapuppis.htm. Congratulations to Kazuyoshi Kanatsu on his latest discovery! ____________________________________________________________________________ We thank the following contributors for the data that they have provided for this News Flash: PCH - C. PULLEN, USA OB - D. OVERBEEK, SOUTH AFRICA OSE - S. OTERO, ARGENTINA Please monitor this possible nova closely and phone-in, fax, or e-mail your observations to the AAVSO. Happy New Year! Good observing! Janet A. Mattei, Director Kerri Malatesta, Technical Assistant ____________________________________________________________________________ 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!