Discovery of Nova Aquilae 1999 No. 2 (V1494 Aql)

by Alfredo Pereira

I hunt for novae visually with 9x34 and 14x100 binoculars, and I still need to add the totals of my last few months, but the grand total is close to 500 hours now. Nova hunting is in fact my main astro-work, more than comets because I fear light pollution will sooner or later deter my comet observing, as my NEL is now no better than 6.0-6.3 on good nights, and is gradually getting worse. Nova hunting takes a lot of time and effort. I spend about 1h 30m each clear night regardless of the Moon. I scan Sgr (with 14x100's to mag 8.5 or so) Sct, Aql. A bit of Oph, Her, Sge, Vul, Cyg, and small parts of Cep, Lac, Cas, And, Aur, and Pup. All to mag. 7.5-9.0 depending on locations.

Memorizing the binocular constellations which one invents for the purpose is very easy. Much more difficult is to keep assiduity. In winter/early spring I have to get up at 4 am. My whole hunting area is currently about 2000 square degrees, with over 3000 stars memorized. I tried in 1981 with Del and Lyr which were small but soon gave up. I was young (now I'm 35) and very impatient! In 1987 I resumed attempts, but hunted very irregularly and my area was still too small. In 1991 I started what I call serious hunting, and since then have logged nearly 500 hours, which is reasonable. In 1994 I did not do any astronomy at all. In the past two years I managed ~100h/year.

I caught N Aql 99 No. 2 just a few minutes after I had started another evening session. I had swept Sct, and rising the 14x100's I scanned central Aquila where I go deep to mag 8.5. I had the intention of switching to 9x34's since these areas were higher in the sky, but then I saw a bright object that completely disturbed even the main "skeleton" of my binocular patterns. I waited a few seconds, and it did not move, then I waited more... no movement! My heart pounded! I laid the 14x100's on the sofa-chair I was using inside to look through an open window (some parts of my hunting are done from indoors); and I went to call Catarina. Then another look and no movement. Of course I had seen the field hundreds of times, and knew very well that nothing should be there. We checked GSC7 for variables and asteroids, then we checked photos taken in 1992 that act as a homemade photo atlas to check suspects. Nothing was there of course, so we measured an approximate position and prepared a report for the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT). When I tried to log in to campus, we found repeatedly that our mail was not going out. Panic! We reset the computer, and tried a few more times. Then we decided to give CBAT a phone call. We continued to observe the object until it set. In was an anxious evening waiting for confirmation. I still managed to do some more nova hunting, but I'm afraid I missed checking many parts of my program this night.