THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 743 1993 May 23 15.06UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 TELEX: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 GMH at UK.AC.RUTHERFORD.STARLINK.ASTROPHYSICS STARLINK: RLSAC::GMH GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK STARLINK: CAVAD::GMH ------------------------------------------------------------------- NOVA AQUILAE 1993 S. J. Austin and S. G. Starrfield, Arizona State University; and R. M. Wagner, Ohio State University, report: "Optical spectrograms of Nova Aql 1993 were obtained with the Perkins 1.8-m tele- scope and CCD spectrograph on May 17.35 UT. The spectra (range 330-870 nm, resolution 1.2 nm) exhibit strong permitted emission lines due to the Balmer series of hydrogen; Fe II (multiplets 37, 38, 42, 48, 49, 73, and 74); O I 777.4 and 844.6 nm; Ca II (H, K, and the infrared triplet); Na D; and Mg II 823.2 nm. Many of these lines show P-Cyg profiles. The H-alpha emission line profile is very asymmetric to the blue side of line center. The spectra confirm the identification as a 'Fe II class' nova in the early post-maximum phase of its development." IAUC 5793 D. Balam reports the following precise position obtained with the 0.5-m reflector (+ CCD) at the University of Victoria's Climenhaga Observatory (mean error 0".2): R.A. = 19h10m34s.69, Decl. = +1 29'14".0 (equinox 1950.0). Photographic magnitude estimates from Technical Pan film (+ orange filter) by W. Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile: Apr. 26.244 UT, [11.5; May 13.351, 8.7 (independent discovery); 17.246, 8.2. IAUC 5794 R. H. McNaught, Anglo-Australian Observatory, reports the following precise position for the nova from a film taken with the Uppsala Southern Schmidt on May 17.6 UT: R.A. = 19h10m34s.69, Decl. = +1 29'14".2 (equinox 1950.0) Using the same PPM catalogue stars used for the measurement, the nearest star to the nova on a U.K. Schmidt R plate taken 1987 May 24 is at mag 19 and has end figures 34s.56, 14".9; this star appears on the Palomar Sky Survey in the same position, indicating that proper motion is not responsible for the position discrepancy. The star shows neutral colors and there is no evidence of variability on the Palomar prints or on 12 U.K. Schmidt exposures in J, R, and I taken during 1979 to 1988. This suggests that the pre-nova was fainter than mag 22. IAUC 5798 SUPERNOVAE 1993O AND 1993P IN ANONYMOUS GALAXIES M. Hamuy, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory; and J. Maza, University of Chile, report the discovery of an apparent supernova of mpg about 17.5 by R. Antezana (University of Chile), found on a 20-min unfiltered IIa-O plate taken on May 18.16 UT by G. Valladares with the CTIO Curtis Schmidt telescope. SN 1993O is located 14" west and 8" north of the nucleus of an anonymous galaxy at R.A. = 13h28m19s, Decl. = -32 57'.6 (equinox 1950.0). Confirmation of this supernova was made by A. Layden (CTIO) on CCD B and V images obtained on May 20.229 with the CTIO 0.9-m telescope. Phillips, Hamuy, and Maza also report the discovery of another supernova of mpg about 17.5 by Antezana on the same plate noted above, SN 1993P being located in the nucleus of a spiral galaxy at R.A. = 13h26m37s.4, Decl. = -30 09'18" (equinox 1950.0). Confirmation was again made by Layden from a CCD V image obtained on May 20.22. IAUC 5789