Nova in Cen with my LISA

[Terry B]

Dear All
I received my new LISA spectrograph last Friday and was able to use it that night with a rare clear night.
I decided to try to take a spectra of the second ?nova recently discovered in Centaurus (TCP J14250600-5845360) as there hasn't been any spectra reported of it yet. I have been taking BVRI photometry measurements of it and it was about V = 11.5 but brighter in R and I.
I was happy with the outcome. I took 5 x 300 sec exposures with my VC200L and processed them in Isis.
The result is attached. It shows very bright Ha band.

The dat file is here if anyone wants to look at it.

http://users.northnet.com.au/~bohlsen/Astronomy/_nova_20120420_580.dat (http://users.northnet.com.au/%7Ebohlsen/Astronomy/_nova_20120420_580.dat)

Cheers

[Rob_K]

Great work Terry! :thumbsup: Very strong result for something so dim. Any ball-park idea of the limiting magnitude for LISA with your set up?

Now for the new one in Sagittarius?? ;)

Cheers -

[DavidTrap]

Very impressive Terry.

Hope the clear skies might be the sign of good times ahead for astronomers!

DT

[Merlin66]

Excellent stuff!
Is that the standard or IR version of LISA??
What did you use for guiding?
Onwards and definately Upwards.
Well done.

[Terry B]

It is the standard version.
I used a QHY guider but now have an STi that is more sensitive. I just have to make an adaptor to connect it.

[Merlin66]

Thanks for that.
Sounds like a "plug and play" instrument...
The STi will give a much better guide image. (I went for the Lodestar)
Are you using PHD guide software? If so how does it handle reflective slit guiding?

[Terry B]

No. I don't like PHD very much. I don't like the calibration routine that it uses and it doesn't seem to be adjustable. For the QHY guider I use guidemaster and the STi I'm using CCDSoft.
I made an adaptor last night but realised after I had cut the internal thread that I forgot to change one of the gears in the lathe and I cut the thread at the wrong pitch. It still screws in but not very far. I will make another one when I get time.

[Terry B]

Rob
I'm taking more exposures of the nova in Cen tonight.
Im not sure what the limiting mag is really but it is realistically limited by my ability to put a star on the slit. I would think that I can get down to mag 13 but it would be a challenge

[janoskiss]

Oh yeah! Seeing people fingerprinting the universe from their back yards. Nothing could make me happier! I had a closer look at your data - thanks for posting it btw - plenty info there. Well done!
:)

[Terry B]

I have now taken 2 nights of spectra and hopefully will take more. I have created a simple web page of the data here.

http://users.northnet.com.au/~bohlsen/Nova/index.htm (http://users.northnet.com.au/%7Ebohlsen/Nova/index.htm)


My web authoring skills are very minimal but it shows the spectra nicely.

[DavidTrap]

Found your webpage fascinating Terry.

Are nova like this something that the professionals observe, or don't they have the time for these?

DT

[Terry B]

These seen to be followed up usually by the professionals but this one seems to have been missed. There are certainly lots of papers published on novas.

[Terry B]

I have updated the page on this nova with some more data and made an animation of the changes that have occurred.
http://users.northnet.com.au/~bohlsen/Nova/index.htm

[Merlin66]

Well done!
Great presentation.
Just shows what can be achieved by dedicated amateurs - compliments the professional data (when and if!)

[madbadgalaxyman]

Terry,

I really enjoyed your spectra!

Personally, I don't see why amateurs think that anything to do with spectra or astrophysics is "too mind boggling for me to understand". When you look at the conceptual complexity of amateurs' knowledge about telescopes and optics, it can actually be greater than the complexity of the basic physics needed to understand spectra.

cheers, Robert

[pvelez]

Excellent work - you are making that LISA talk!

Pete

[pvelez]

I have managed a reasonable spectrum down to 12.7. I'm trying 13.4 tomorrow night. Will report on how it goes

Pete

[DavidTrap]

Agreed. A lot of the concepts aren't that hard to understand. It all depends on the explanation of those concepts.

DT

[Terry B]

I haven't tried that faint yet.
Tonight I'm taking spectra of the new nova in oph PNV J17395600-2447420
The main hassle is a lack of guide stars. I'm having to use a 3 sec exposure for the guide camera.
It certainly looks like a nova with a wide Ha line measuring a FWHM of 2580km/s
I need to complete the calibration files before I'm certain though.

[Terry B]

Here is the spectra of the new nova on Oph from tonight.
PNV J17395600-2447420

[Terry B]

A bit more info here
http://users.northnet.com.au/~bohlsen/Nova/novaoph.htm

[pvelez]

Nice work Terry - that's a very prominent Ha line there

I might give this one a go myself

Pete

[pvelez]

Sadly no joy. The target is actually 13.89 in V. With 10 x 600sec I managed some data but it's too faint to process. I'll have another play at the weekend but I think I have hit the limit from among the bright lights of Sydney.

Pete

[Terry B]

That's pretty dim. Noe for a bigger scope.:D

[pvelez]

I suspect you are right - but with the PMX coming (like Christmas), I doubt a new larger scope would pass unnoticed.

Pete