Alert Notice 312: Apparent nova in Puppis - 0737-26 N Pup 04 AND Request to monitor 0749+22 U Geminorum

November 22, 2004

SUBJECTS:

1. APPARENT NOVA IN PUPPIS: 0737-26 N PUP 04
2. REQUEST TO MONITOR 0749+22 U GEMINORUM

1. 0737-26 N PUP 04 - APPARENT NOVA

Event: Apparent nova

Discovered (Independently) By: Akihiko Tago, Tsuyama, Okayama-ken, Japan, and Yukio Sakurai, Mito, Ibaragi-ken, Japan (IAU Circular 8443)

Discovery Magnitude: 7.6 photographic (Tago), and 7.4 CCD (Sakurai) (IAU Circular 8443)

Discovery Date: The object appears on two T-Max 400 films taken with a Pentax 67 camera taken Nov. 20.672 UT (Tago), and on two CCD frames taken on Nov. 20.812 using a Fuji 'Fine Pix S2' camera and a Nikon 180-mm f/2.8 lens (Sakurai) (IAU Circular 8443).

Position: R.A. (2000): 07h 41m 53.76s Decl. (2000): -27o 06' 36.9", by S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, based on Sakurai's images (IAU Circular 8443).

Spectra: K. Ayani, Bisei Astronomical Observatory (BAO), reports that low-dispersion spectra (range 463-690 nm; resolution 0.54 nm at H_alpha) of the apparent nova, obtained on Nov. 21.75 UT at the BAO 1.01-m telescope, shows H_alpha and H_beta lines with P-Cyg profiles (IAU Circular 8443).

AAVSO Chart(s): An AAVSO chart is available at

http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/shrinkwrap.pl?path=/charts/PUP/N_PUP_04/NPUP04-D.GIF  [obsolete link; create charts using AVSP at http://www.aavso.org/vsp ]

Report Object to the AAVSO as: 0737-26 N PUP 04

Observations Reported to the AAVSO: Nov 22.0930 UT, 7.62 CCDV, 8.48 CCDB, 6.45 CCDI, 7.06 CCDR, G. Sostero, Cavalicco, Italy.

Notes (from IAU Circular 8443):

a. Sakurai notes that nothing was visible to magnitude 13.6 at this location on November 12 or 16.

b. R. Kushida, Yatsugatake, South Base Observatory, Japan, reports the end figures of the position as 41m 53.56s, 38.3", using a 0.40-m Schmidt-Cassegrain f/10 reflector (mag 6.9 on Nov. 21.625 UT) and K. Kadota, Ageo, Japan, reports 41m 53.59s, 38.1" using a 0.25-m f/5.0 reflector (mag 7.0 on Nov. 21.701 UT).

c. Kadota notes the presence of a star near this variable on Digitized Sky Survey plates taken in 1980, 1992, and 1995, with a USNO-A2.0 star having position end figures 41m 53.61s, 39.1", with red magnitude 17.7 and blue magnitude 18.2.

Congratulations to Akihiko and Yukio on their independent discoveries!

2. REQUEST TO MONITOR 0749+22 U GEMINORUM

Our colleague Dr. John Cannizzo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, plans to observe the next outburst of the cataclysmic variable U Gem with RXTE, on a Target Of Opportunity (TOO) observing campaign. Prompt notification of when U Gem has started its rise to outburst will be crucial for Dr. Cannizzo to start his TOO observations. U Gem was last in outburst in mid-September, when it brightened to magnitude 9.2 and was brighter than 11.0 for 14 days.

AAVSO observers are asked to monitor U Gem's activity and to notify Headquarters immediately if the star brightens to magnitude 13.5 or brighter. Both visual and CCD observations are encouraged. New charts for U Gem were issued in February 2004, and are available on the AAVSO website. Please make sure you are using these latest charts. If you do not have access to the website, please contact Headquarters and ask for the new charts to be sent to you.

SUBMIT OBSERVATIONS TO THE AAVSO

We encourage observers to submit observations via our web site (online data submission tool WebObs), or by email in AAVSO format to observations@aavso.org. If you do not have AAVSO Observer Initials, please contact Headquarters so we may assign them to you. The answering machine at AAVSO Headquarters is on nights and weekends; use our charge-free number (888-802-STAR = 888-802-7827) to report your observations, or report them via fax (617-354-0665).

Many thanks for your valuable astronomical contributions and your efforts.

Good observing!

Elizabeth O. Waagen
Interim Director

Kerriann Malatesta
Technical Assistant

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