Peculiar Variable or Nova in Crux

AAVSO Newsflash Special Notice (August 22, 2003)

To: AAVSO Observers
From: Janet A. Mattei, Director

Subject: 1217-59 NOVA CRUX 2003  -  PECULIAR VARIABLE OR NOVA IN CRUX

Yesterday's NewsFlash Special Notice (August 21) reported Velo Tabur's
discovery of a possible nova in Crux as announced in IAU Circular 8184
(R.A. (2000): 12h 23m 16.07s, Decl. (2000): -60o 22' 34.2"; position
from B. Monard, not IAUC 8184).

IAU Circular 8185, issued this morning, reported that spectroscopy does
not clearly show the nature of this interesting object:
  - H. Bond, Space Telescope Science Institute, reported that a spectrum
taken on Aug. 21.95 UT under poor conditions appears to indicate a classical
nova before or near maximum light. However,
  - M. Della Valle, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, and colleagues
reported that a spectrum taken on Aug. 22.02 UT does not look like that
of a nova but rather like a post-asymptotic-giant-branch star in flare-up,
a V4332 Sgr-type object, or a V838 Mon-type object caught at an early
stage.

Continuing observations are essential to understanding this object - keep
observing!

The AAVSO finder chart for this object is available at this URL:

http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=n%20cru%2003

A webpage on this object is being created on the AAVSO web site
(www.aavso.org). Check there for Berto Monard's CCD image, and more
material as we receive it.

Current observations of 1217-59 N CRU 03:
AUG 18 UT     11.9:CR TVB (V. Tabur, Wanniassa, ACT, Australia)
AUG 20.486    10.2 CR TVB (discovery image, unfiltered CCD with R mags)
AUG 20.490    10.2 CR TVB (discovery image)
AUG 21.5       9.2:CR TVB (through clouds, very uncertain)
AUG 21.71      9.2 CR MLF (B. Monard, Pretoria, S. Africa; R mags from ACAC1)
AUG 22.399    10.3    SRX (R. Stubbings, Drouin, Victoria, Australia)
AUG 22.4930   10.2    PEX (A. Pearce, Nedlands, W. Australia)

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