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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1224      1997 Aug 19 18.10UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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V4368 SAGITTARII (=Q1997/052)
During the Editor's absence on holiday, G.Klaus of Grenchen,
Switzerland reported by express letter that a possible nova or
variable star had been recorded at:

RA 18h54m40s DEC -19 41'50"(2000)

The following photographic magnitude estimates were made:
1997 Aug 01.97UT, 9.5 (0.30-m Schmidt. 4mins TP4415H. Puimichel,
France).
1997 Aug 10.91UT, 9.5 (300mm telephoto, TP4415H at Grenchen,
Switzerland).

As the object did not show in Guide 5 as a known variable, an
appeal was circulated which resulted in Gareth Williams (Minor
Planet Center) and Herman Mikuz (Slovenia) confirming its
identification as V4368 Sgr (formerly Wakuda's peculiar
variable in Sgr, IAUC 5961). The catalogued position is:

RA 18h54m40.5s DEC -19 41'55" (2000)

Subsequently, with kind assistance from Taichi Kato in Japan,
a message was received from S.Takahashi, Dynic Astronomical
Observatory, Japan, which confirmed the magnitude as 10.3
on 1997 Aug 18 (14.23UT) using GSC comparison star values.

M.Yamamoto, Japan also confirmed the above identification.

The catalogued range is 10.0 to [21 and type is NC. This is
a very unusual object near maximum again and should be
carefully monitored.

Guy M Hurst