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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1817      2002 Oct 19 17.55UT
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.theastronomer.org
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PROBABLE NOVA IN THE SMC
Bill Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile, reports that he has found a new
stellar object of magnitude 12.3 in the Small Magellanic Cloud on
two 90-second exposures taken on 2002 October 16.1967UT and
16.1995UT using a 0.20-m Schmidt with TP film (no filter).

>From a further CCD exposure of Oct 17.204UT he measured the
candidate to have a broadband V magnitude of 12.66, and its
position to be RA 00h 56m 30.4s DEC -72 36' 29.4" (2000).
 
This location is near the centre of the SMC in an extremely crowded
field. It is located 8.8' south of the eastern edge of the bright
compact cluster NGC 330.

Liller adds that on the most recent set of exposures obtained on
2002 Oct 9.29UT, he found nothing in the position brighter than
magnitude 14. 

Andrew Pearce e-mails confirmation of the new object which he
observed on October 18.654UT at visual magnitude 13.2 using a
0.41-m reflector.

Guy M Hurst