Seems we lost our opportunity to provide the spectral proof this object (now V1213 Cen) is a nova. Also a great pity these northern barbarians are invading our turf
Circular No. 9043
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
V1213 CENTAURI
G. Pojmanski, D. Szczygiel, and B. Pilecki, Warsaw University
Astronomical Observatory, report their discovery of a possible nova
in a crowded star field on V-band CCD exposures taken with a 70-mm-
aperture, 200-mm-f.l. f/2.8 camera lens in the course of the All-
Sky Automated Survey, providing the variable's position as R.A. =
13h31m16s, Decl. = -63o57'.6 (equinox 2000.0). ASAS-3 V-band
magnitudes for the variable: May 4.168 UT, [14: (presumed; not
detected); 8.235, 8.53; 11.108, 9.12; 11.140, 9.13. M. Templeton,
AAVSO, reports that L. Elenin (Moscow, Russia) observed the
variable at V = 9.69 on May 13.466, remotely using a 0.15-m f/7.3
refractor near Perth, W. Australia, and providing position end
figures 15s.76, 38".5 for the new object. E. Guido and G. Sostero
write that they obtained unfiltered CCD images remotely with a
0.25-m f/6 telescope near Moorook, Australia, on May 13.57 that
yield magnitude about 8.6 for the variable and position end figures
15s.77, 38".6; comparison with an Anglo-Australian Observatory
Schmidt red plate (limiting magnitude about 20), obtained on 1997
Feb. 5, shows that this position is nearly coincident with a field
star with mag about 15 whose position end figures are 15s.68, 38".6
(difficult measurement due to extreme crowding of nearby field
stars). Additional information was given on CBET 1800.
A
. Pigulski, Astronomical Institute, Wroclaw University,
writes that he obtained a single spectrogram of the variable with
the 1.9-m Radcliffe telescope (+ GIRAFFE echelle spectrograph;
range 425-680 nm; resolution 32000) of the South African
Astronomical Observatory on May 13.89 UT. The star shows very
strong and broad emission in H-alpha, H-beta, and H-gamma. The
peak flux of the H-alpha emission is roughly ten times stronger
than that of the continuum. The FWHM of the Balmer lines (as
measured from H-alpha and H-beta) corresponds to the velocity of
2300 km/s. In addition, the Fe II emission features at 490-540 nm,
characteristic for a nova at an early stage of evolution, can be
clearly seen in the spectrum.
E. V. Kazarovets and N. Samus report that the GCVS team
assigns the designation V1213 Cen to this nova.
