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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2092      2005 Mar 06 18.39UT
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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V2361 CYGNI (= NOVA CYGNI 2005)
Further to the announcement of a possible nova in Cygnus on TA 
E-Circular 2085, N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Moscow, has announced 
that the designation V2361 Cyg has been given to this nova.

Charts were subsequently issued on Early Warning Circular 177 issued on 
2005 Feb 17 and also in 'finders format' on CSN 119 and CSN 120. The (b) 
and (c) format charts are also on our website and available to Gold 
subscribers.

S. Ciroi, et. al., Department of Astronomy, University of Padova, have 
reported on IAUC 8487 that a spectrum of this nova, taken on 2005 
Feb.12.2UT at the 1.2-m telescope of the Asiago Astrophysical 
Observatory is dominated by the Balmer emission lines H_alpha and
H_beta with at least three absorption systems on their blue wings,
characterized by velocities of -3200, -6500, and -7500 km/s.

Des Loughney, Edinburgh, secured the following positive visual results:
Feb 13.23UT, 10.0; 15.19, 10.3; 17.22, 11.1; 18.21, 11.3; 19.22, 12.6

Richard Miles, Golden Hill Observatory, Dorset, England reported the 
following V measures indicating the nova had entered a very steep 
decline:

Feb 13.78UT, 10.29
Feb 14.79UT, 10.40
Feb 15.78UT, 10.68
Feb 18.79UT, 12.01
Feb 20.79UT, 13.70
Feb 21.79UT, 14.76

Given the lack of observations following this and the possibility this 
nova may undertake a rare DQ-Herculis dip and recovery, an appeal was 
issued at the recent BAA Workshop at Milton Keynes for CCD observers to 
attempt to record it.

In response David Boyd, Wantage, England, has advised us that he secured 
I-band and V-band images on 2005 March 3 on a mean time of 02.45UT. It 
is just visible on the V-band image. Photometry of four images in each 
of I-band and V-band, each consisting of a stack of 5x60sec exposures, 
representing a total integration time of 40mins, gave the mean results:
V=17.63, I=13.76 with V-I=3.87.
Given the difficulty of calibration, errors are probably +/-0.2.

Observers are strongly urged to continue to image the nova through this 
very faint phase and to watch for a possible recovery.

Guy M Hurst