Call for Eta Carinae Nebula images

[Rob_K]

Hi all - there has been a new galactic classical nova discovered on the 'outskirts' of the Eta Carinae Nebula, currently designated ASASSN-18fv. It's now in the mag 6s or brighter.
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=11454

Just interested in any shots of EC taken in the last few nights that might show the nova brightening. Images back to 14-15 Mar would be helpful. A guide shot of mine is attached, for the location - forgive the roughie!! :lol:

Pm or post here if you can help - thanks!

Cheers

[LewisM]

Gawd, my image JUST cuts off the SN! https://www.astrobin.com/full/333426/B/

:lol: C'est la vie!

[Rob_K]

Doh! :P:lol:

[alocky]

I've got a few subs of the region from 11-12pm WST from 17th March. They do seem to show something there, but I'm afraid it's from a 50mm lens wide field so the stars aren't as sharp as you might like. What's the best way for you to evaluate whether they're useful or not?
cheers,
Andrew.

[Rob_K]

Thanks Andrew - I took a few widefield (55mm lens) sighter shots last night and the separation from the adjacent bright star was OK at full res (5184 x 3456 px). At the time you took it, the nova should have been around the mag 10 mark. Maybe if you could do a crop of the area at full-res and either post it here or email it to me. I'll pm you my email address. :thumbsup:

Cheers -

[LewisM]

Actually Rob, if I am reading your "map" right, I did capture it pre-eruption (13 March 2018):

[Aussie_Dave]

Hi Rob, I have 4 from 2:10am early Sunday morning 18/03/2018 Western Australia. Taken with a Sony a5000 and Yashinon 50mm f1.4 lens stopped down to f4, full res crops. Hope this helps.

Dave.

[Rob_K]

Great stuff Lewis! The star you've got circled isn't it, but probably more importantly star should just be showing right on the edge of the frame (ie continuing that line of little stars) and it isn't. The ASAS-SN survey showed nothing there to mag 15.6 on 13 March, your image is probably deeper.

Your full-res may show a bit more. Thanks for putting the image up! :thumbsup:

Cheers -

[Rob_K]

Fantastic Dave, thanks! :thumbsup: It's amazing how many people on IIS imaged this star before the ASAS-SN survey recognised it and reported it. But I suppose the EC neb is one of the most popular imaging targets in southern skies.

Cheers -

[Mickoid]

Hi Rob, for what it's worth, this was taken on March the 10th.

[Rob_K]

Thanks Michael. While there appears to be an extremely faint source just above the noise level, it's pretty much what you'd expect from the faint star that's very close to the position at this scale. The recorded brightness 'surge' took place between ASAS-SN's 15th Mar and 16th Mar images of the field but they only go down to about 15.5 mag or or so. From your image I reckon it would be safe to say that the nova (or whatever it is!) was less than mag 16.5 on 10 Mar. I think the 'progenitor' was in the mag 19s (they said it was a 12-magnitude outburst) and if nothing else your image shows that there was no significant brightening five days before the big outburst. Good stuff! :thumbsup:

Cheers -

[Aussie_Dave]

Taken early morning on the 22nd with the ASI224. Only my second time with it trying for DSO, just lights, no calibration frames. I star hopped to it as my goto is way out.