THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 411         1990 May 13 17.40UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close,  Kempshott Rise,   Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone:   (0256)471074  Int:+44256471074
Telex: 94082518 Answerback: TAGUY                 Microlink: MAG60138
JANET:GMH @ UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK or GUYH@UK.AC.SUSSEX.CLUSTER
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V3890 SAGITTARII (cf E408,409)
E. P. Belserene, Maria Mitchell Observatory, reports the following
measurement of Nova Sgr 1962 = V3890 Sgr from a plate exposed
1962 June 3.2 UT (cf. Dinerstein and Hoffleit 1973, IBVS 845):
R.A. = 18h27m39s.97, Decl. = -24 03'15".9 (equinox 1950.0; estimated
uncertainty +/- 2" in each coordinate).  This suggests that the
star(s) measured by Duerbeck (1987, Space Sci. Rev. 45, 123) and by
Williams (1983, Ap.J. Suppl. 53, 523) is (are) not V3890 Sgr.  This
agrees with remarks by several observers (including Kato et al.,
below) that the object now in outburst lies southwest of the
Duerbeck and Williams positions.
T. Kato, T. Djamaluddin, R. Hirata, and M. Saito, Kyoto University,
report:  "We observed V3890 Sgr with the CCD camera attached to the
Ouda 0.60-m reflector on Apr. 30.8 UT, and obtained V about 9.3. The
position of the present nova coincides with a mag 17 star on the POSS
O plate located 6" west and 10" south of the Williams (ibid.)
candidate.  The magnitude on Duerbeck's SERC-J finding chart is about
14, suggesting an unreported outburst."
A. F. Jones, Stoke, New Zealand, writes that he has monitored this
object since 1988 Jan., but failed to detect the star on 61 nights
prior to its current outburst (cf. IAUC 5002).  Further visual
magnitude estimates:  Apr. 20.68 UT, [13: (Jones); May 3.18, 9.8
(A. Pereira, Linda-a-Velha, Portugal); 4.18, 9.9 (Pereira);
5.17, 10.3 (Pereira); 5.89, 9.7 (A. Pearce, Scarborough, W.A.);
6.17, 9.7 (Pereira); 6.87, 9.8 (Pearce); 7.11, 9.0 (A. Boattini,
Monte Senario, Italy).
IAUC 5007
 
LILLER'S VARIABLE IN SAGITTARIUS (cf E392)
R. M. Wagner, Ohio State University; S. G. Starrfield and S.Austin,
Arizona State University, report:  "Optical spectra of Liller's nova
candidate (IAUC 4974, 4978) were obtained on May 6.42 UT using the
CCD spectrograph (range 450.0-710.0 nm, resolution 1.0 nm) on the
Perkins 1.8-m telescope at the Lowell Observatory. These spectra show
emission lines of H-alpha, H-beta, He I (706.5, 667.8, 587.6 nm), He
II 468.6 nm, and the C III/N III blend at 464.0-465.0 nm.  The FWHM
of H-alpha emission is about 400 km/s.
The interstellar lines at 628.4 nm and Na D 589.6-nm are also
present. Forbidden lines characteristic of a classical nova are not
present. These observations suggest that this object is probably a
dwarf nova that has an unusually fast and large amplitude outburst,
such as WZ Sge."
IAUC 5008
 
Guy M Hurst