Good - we get to test the new forum almost immediately! Patrick Schmeer posts on several alert lists about this new unconfirmed object, as found at
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/followups/J16161867+1151058.html
This is unlikely to be a nova. It is at galactic latitude 40 degrees, so well out of the plane and with little extinction. A nova typically has an absolute brightness of about -9mag, which means 13th apparent magnitude would be a 22mag distance modulus, or a distance of about 250kpc, well out of the galaxy. Of course, it could have been caught on the rise and will get several magnitudes brighter, but it would have to get much brighter to be within our galaxy. My guess is that this, if confirmed, is a CV, which has a much fainter absolute magnitude.
Arne
The position is 1.2" away from USNO- B1.0 1018-0293256 = GSC2.3 N3PF014436 = SDSS J161618.71+115104.7 which has B ~21 in USNO and V ~20.6 with almost neutral colors in SDSS.
It is a quasar candidate in 2009ApJS..180...67R and 2009MNRAS.396..223D
It is classified as a star in the SDSS catalogue but as a low redshift quasar in 2012MNRAS.419...80A
SDSS position is 16 16 18.71 +11 51 04.7 instead of 16 16 18.67 +11 51 05.8 of the published source.
Two detections in CRTS: MLS_J161618.7+115104 and CSS_J161618.7+115104 showing similar magnitude as the other sources, 20.4-21.0 CV.
New astrometry is encouraged to see if this is the same object.
It wouldn't be the first time a quasar candidate turns out to be a CV.
Cheers,
Sebastian
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Sebastian Otero
VSX Team
American Association of Variable Star Observers
I imaged it from New Mexico using iTelescope 21 last night at 4 AM local time. The attached is a pinpoint Analysis using Maxim DL. Estimated at 13 to 14 magnitude using some stars close by with simular profiles. Confirmed location using http://space.geocities.jp/yusastar77/supernova/PNinHer_140126.htm photo.
I estimated it at about v=13.3 on Jan 26 16:05UT using the comps USNO A2 0975-08232505 and USNO A2 0975-08231616, but given the innacuracy of USNO magnitudes, this estimate is only a rough one.
Its still not in VSX? I was unable to enter it in WebObs.
Mike LMK
Hi, Mike,
I was waiting for new astrometry to confirm the identification, and it was confirmed by T. Yusa astrometry on the CBAT page so it has now been added.
Anyway, I recommed that you wait for an official sequence to be available before submitting your observation because then you will have to edit it.
Cheers,
Sebastian
PNV J16161867+1151058 now has a sequence. You can plot AAVSO charts for it with reliable photometry.
Enjoy,
Mike Simonsen
AAVSO