Circular No. 5381 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only) TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM EASYLINK 62794505 MARSDEN or GREEN@CFA.BITNET MARSDEN or GREEN@CFAPS2.SPAN NOVA OPHIUCHI 1991 No. 2 R. H. McNaught, Anglo-Australian Observatory, reports the discovery of another nova by Paul Camilleri, Cobram, Victoria. The nova was found on a photo taken Apr. 11, but not until that photo was used for a comparison on Oct. 28. Photovisual magnitudes estimated by Camilleri from his T-Max 400 exposures with a 135-mm lens are as follows: 1991 Mar. 22.65 UT, [12.5; Apr. 11.60, 9.3; Apr. 16.54, 10.5; Apr. 21.58, 11.0; May 17.45, 11.0: (image may be of a nearby star); July 11, [12. Measures by McNaught of an Apr. 11 negative give the following position: R.A. = 17h40m07s.44, Decl. = -20 05'43".1 (equinox 1950.0, uncertainty 4" in each coordinate; comatic images). B, V, R, and I CCD images, taken on Nov. 8.4 by A. E. Samuel and R. H. McNaught with the 1.0-m reflector at Siding Spring, confirm the nova at V about 16.5 and show it to be increasingly bright towards the blue and substantially bluer than surrounding field stars. Coordinates measured by McNaught from the R and I images give end figures 07s.44, 35".0 (uncertainty 0".4 in each coordinate). No image appears at this position on the SERC J, R, and I, nor on the ESO B and R, survey films. GX 1+4 R. K. Sood, S. D. James, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra; D. P. Sharma, K. Hill, University of Tasmania, Hobart; G. Stringfellow, Mt. Stromlo Observatory, Canberra; and R. K. Manchanda, Tata Institute, Bombay, telex: "Spectroscopic studies of the optical counterpart of the binary x-ray pulsar GX 1+4 were carried out on July 2 and 3, at a resolution of 15 nm, when the x-ray source was in a high intensity state. Strong emission at the previously undetected lines of O I (844.6 nm) and Ca II (849.8 nm) was seen. The He II (468.6 nm) emission feature was also detected. No significant signal was seen in the forbidden transitions of Fe VII or Fe X. There was evidence for the Na doublet at 818.3 and 819.5 nm in absorption. Further observations are planned." V1017 SAGITTARII Visual magnitude estimates by D. York, Abiquiu, NM (cf. IAUC 5375): Oct. 19.07 UT, 11.9; 20.07, 11.6; 22.07, 11.5; 23.07, 11.5; 26.07, 11.5; Nov. 2.06, 11.2; 5.07, 11.0; 6.05, 11.0; 7.06, 11.0. 1991 November 8 (5381) Daniel W. E. Green
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