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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1924      2003 Sep 24 15.09UT
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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NOVA IN MESSIER 31
On September 20, we received an e-mail from Tom Boles of Coddenham
England, relaying news that he has detected a possible nova in
Messier 31 at magnitude 18.1 on unfiltered CCD images of Sept
17.160UT and 20.054UT with a 0.35-m reflector during the course of
the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol.

The new object is located at RA 00h 42m 59.84s DEC +41 03'33.9"
(2000) which is approximately 175" E and 755" S of the centre of
the galaxy.

Odd Trondal, Oslo, Norway, obtained a confirmation image on 2003
Sept. 20.119UT with a 0.25-m reflector. The suspect is not present
on Tom's images of 2002 Sep 28 (limiting mag 20.0) and 2003 Aug
2 and 31 (limiting mag 19.5) and is also not present on Palomar Sky
Survey red (1989.749) or blue plates (1989.686)

We offer congratulations to Tom on this discovery which has
subsequently been announced on IAUC 8205. If spectroscopically
confirmed, it would be the sixth nova found by members of the UK
Nova/Supernova Patrol and the first to be discovered in another
galaxy.

Guy M Hurst