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V1974 Cyg (Nova Cygni 1992)

Nova Cygni 1992
A 1994 Hubble Space Telescope image of the expanding shell of gas expelled by Nova Cygni 1992. Credit: NASA, ESA, HST, F. Paresce, R. Jedrzejewski (STScI)
On the night of 1992 February 18-19, through a moon-lit sky and polluted conditions due to a recent volcano eruption, Peter Collins of Boulder, Colorado, USA, visually spotted a suspect object shining at magnitude 7.2 at a location about 6 degrees north of the bright star Deneb. After comparing the location with an atlas, he decided that perhaps it was nothing new, but would check additional references later to be sure. Before making the comparison, Collins observed the field again and found that within 9 hours the suspect had brightened by an additional magnitude! After checking various catalogues to no avail, Collins contacted AAVSO Headquarters and various other authorities so that the astronomical community could be alerted about his finding (Alert Notices 155, 156). For his visual discovery, Mr. Collins was awarded the AAVSO Nova Award, presented at the 1993 Spring Meeting of the AAVSO held in Berkeley, California, USA.

Click here for a description of Peter Collins' personal recollection.

V1974 Cyg
Visual light curve of V1974 Cyg from the AAVSO International Database; August 31, 1991 to August 13, 2002.

Within days of its discovery, the nova brightened even further, reaching a visual maximum of 4.3. Not only was V1974 Cyg observed in the optical portion of the spectrum, but it was also well monitored throughout the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite began observing the nova only 15 hours after the discovery report. In fact, V1974 Cyg is the first nova to have been observed throughout the entire regime of wavelengths and from many points of view, including from the ground, the air, Earth's orbit, and beyond. As a result, V1974 Cyg is one of the best studied novae. It was the first nova observed in outburst by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), EUVE, Voyager, and CGRO. As well, it was monitored by the Roentgen X-ray Satellite (ROSAT) and the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The imaging of the nova with HST in 1993 provided the closest look at the expanding shell and conditions very early after the initial event. Through observations from HST, IUE, and ground-based telescopes, it has been seen that the shell was not ejected symmetrically but rather in many pieces.

Having pre-maximum data is somewhat rare since most nova discoveries are made after the nova has reached its greatest brightness. To date, over 9000 observations of V1974 Cyg are contained within the AAVSO International Database. After reaching maximum, the nova faded in several distinct stages: relatively quickly from maximum until April of 1992; at a slower rate until June of 1992; and at an even slower pace since mid-1992. At present, the nova can be seen around 16th magnitude and may be a good target for CCD observers. Those interested will find AAVSO 'b', 'd', and 'f' scale charts useful in identifying and monitoring this nova.

Much more can be said about this fantastic nova, so look out for a full feature VSOTM on V1974 Cyg in the future!

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