Electronic Telegram No. 2061
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://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


NOVA IN M31:  M31N 2009-11e
     An apparent nova in M31 has been independently reported from three differen
observatories.
     Wolfgang Pietsch, P. Podigachoski, F. Haberl, M. Henze, and V. Burwitz,
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik; A. Updike, Clemson
University; P. Milne and G. Williams, University of Arizona; and D. H.
Hartmann, Clemson University, report their discovery of 2009-11e on two sets
of twelve 60-s stacked R-band CCD images obtained with the robotic 60-cm
telescope of the Livermore Optical Transient Imaging System (Super-LOTIS,
located at Steward Observatory on Kitt Peak).  The new object, at R.A. =
0h42m35s.31, Decl. = +41o12'59".1 (equinox 2000.0; positional uncertainty
given as 0".4), or 102" west and 190" south of the center of M31, was first
detected on Nov. 20.25 and 21.14 with respective magnitudes of 18.7 and 18.5
(the magnitudes being obtained from a photometric solution using R
magnitudes of the Local Group Survey M31 catalogue of Massey et al. 2006,
A.J. 131, 2478).  No object is visible at the position of the presumed nova
on a Super-LOTIS image from Nov. 19.25 (limiting R magnitude 19.0).  M31N
2009-11e was already detected at mag 18.8 in the ultraviolet with the Swift
Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) and the UVW2 filter (bandpass 112-264
nm) in monitoring observations for nova M31N 2009-10b on Nov. 18.67 (two
days before the optical detection).  In the Swift UVOT uvw2 observations on
Nov. 15.26 and in earlier observations, no object was visible at the
position of 2009-11e down to a (3-sigma) limiting magnitude of around 20.5;
the ultraviolet magnitudes are on the UVOT photometric system (cf. Poole et
al. 2008, MNRAS 383, 627) and have not been corrected for extinction.
     Pavel Cagas, Zlin, Czech Republic, reports his discovery of 2009-11e at
mag 18.1 on an unfiltered, co-added 1800-s CCD image taken with a 0.26-m
telescope on Nov. 20.807 UT; the new object is located at R.A. = 0h42m35s.30,
Decl. = +41o12'59".5, which is 101" west and 189" south of the center of M31.
Nothing was visible at this position on his reference image from 2006 Sept.
23 (no limiting mag provided).
     Kamil Hornoch, Ondrejov Observatory, reports the discovery of 2009-11e by
P. Kusnirak and himself on a co-added 540-s R-band CCD frame taken with the
0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov on Nov. 21.816 UT under poor conditions; the new
object (at position end figures 35s.33, 59".2, offset 101" west, 189" south)
is visible on single images used for the co-added image, but it is not present
on numerous archive images back to 2002 taken at Lelekovice and Ondrejov.
Available R-band magnitudes for 2009-11e from Ondrejov images:  Nov. 13.034,
[20.6 (Hornoch); 21.816, 17.8 (Hornoch and Kusnirak); 23.042, 17.0 +/- 0.1
(Hornoch); 25.664, 17.7 +/- 0.1 (K. Hornoch and P. Zasche); 26.781, 17.4 +/-
0.1 (Hornoch and M. Wolf); 27.013, 17.5 +/- 0.1 (Hornoch and Wolf).
     K. Hornoch, Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic, and O.
Pejcha, Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, report low-resolution
optical spectroscopy (range 380-720 nm; resolution 0.7 nm) and optical
photometry of M31N 2009-11e.  Spectra were obtained using the Boller & Chivens
CCD Spectrograph on the 2.4-m Hiltner telescope at MDM Observatory.  Magnitude
measurements were obtained from images taken with RETROCAM on the 2.4-m
Hiltner telescope and with the 0.65-m telescope (+ G2CCD-3200) at Ondrejov
Observatory.  Spectra of M31N 2009-11e taken by O. Pejcha on Nov. 22.19
and 23.23 UT (1.9 days and 3.0 days, respectively, after its first optical
detection by Pietsch et al.) show Balmer and Fe II emission lines, thus
confirming this object as "Fe II"-class nova close to maximum light.
The following additional magnitude measurements were obtained with the 2.4-m
telescope and Sloan filters:  Nov. 22.188, r' = 17.80 +/- 0.04; 22.191, g' =
17.80 +/- 0.09; 23.213, r' = 17.33 +/- 0.03; 23.215, g' = 17.29 +/- 0.10.


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                         (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 December 2                  (CBET 2061)              Daniel W. E. Green