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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1933      2003 Oct 23 17.59UT
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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POSSIBLE NOVA IN CIRCINUS
Bill Liller, Chile, e-mails that on a pair of exposures of 1.75 and
2.75 minutes (85mm Nikon + red filter + Tech Pan film) taken on
2003 October 9.008UT (average), he found a new stellar object in
Circinus at (2000) RA 15h 17.8m, DEC -61d 58' (2000), approximate
magnitude 8.2.
No star brighter than magnitude 11.5 was seen on the most recent
exposure taken by Bill on September 26.004 UT.

In a later image Liller reports that he has found images of the
star on the overlap portion of a pair of photographs taken 5.5
minutes before the discovery photographs, at October 9.004 UT
(average). Curiously, the star appears decidedly brighter at
approximate magnitude 7.7.

Also, he has now found a pair of photographs of the region taken on
October 4.010 UT.  Nothing is visible at the position of the star
down to magnitude 11.0.

Liller sends a further report indicating that using a CCD + Schmidt
camera + an objective transmission diffraction grating he was able
to image the red spectrum of the nova candidate at October
11.002UT.  It shows an exceedingly strong and broad H-alpha
emission line;  its FWHM is at least 5100 km/s.  (Part of the line
may have been cut off by the red filter used.)  The brightness of
its flat maximum was approximately 7.7 times that of the
surrounding continuum.

He provides a precise position:
RA 15h 17m 52.20s +/- 0.14s,  DEC -61o 57' 13.77" +/- 0.41" from
four stars with TYCHO coordinates.

Nicholas Brown reports a visual magnitude estimate of 9.9 on 2003
October 10.51UT.

EDITORIAL NOTICE
It is apparent that during October several IAUCs went astray in
transmission from the Central Bureau to both Demon and the backup
Rutherford box. We are seeking replacements as soon as possible.

Guy M Hurst