Electronic Telegram No. 405 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions) CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science) URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html POSSIBLE NOVA IN SAGITTARIUS W. Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile, reports his discovery of a possible nova (mag approximately 9.0) on three Technical Pan photographs taken with an 85-mm-f.l. camera lens (+ orange filter) around Feb. 17.37 UT. The new object is located at R.A. = 17h58m.9, Decl. = -36o48' (equinox 2000.0). Nothing brighter than mag 11.0 was seen at this position on a photograph taken on Feb. 5.36. H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, reports the independent discovery of this possible nova at mag about 8.6 on Feb. 17.84 by Minoru Yamamoto (Okazaki, Aichi, Japan) via two digital-camera images taken with a 85-mm-f.l. camera lens and a Fuji Finepix S2Pro camera; Yamamoto's position for the new object is R.A. = 17h58m54s, Decl. = -36d47'40". NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2006 CBAT 2006 February 18 (CBET 405) Daniel W. E. Green