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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2309      2007 Feb 22 17.01UT
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      Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk
WORLD WIDE WEB                         http://www.theastronomer.org
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V1281 SCORPII
Messages have circulated on VSNET reporting the discovery by Yuji
Nakamura, Japan of a variable object of magnitude 9.3 recorded on
unfiltered CCD images taken with a 135-mm telephoto lens on 2007 Feb. 
19.8593 UT at:
RA 16h 56m 59.35s DEC -35 21' 50.2" (2000). This position was obtained 
by K. Itagaki of Japan based on an image of Feb 20.85UT obtained with a 
0.60-m reflector.
The star was not present to a limiting magnitude of 12.0 on Feb 
14.8575UT.
The measured position is within 30" of GSC 7367.712 which is located at:
RA 16h 56m 58.0s DEC -35 21' 39" (2000) mag 13.3 and possibly variable.
There is evidently nothing on the Digitised Sky Survey so this may 
therefore be a second nova (in addition to V1280 Sco) in this 
constellation.
An independent discovery has evidently also been made by Hideo 
Nishimura.
Yasuhide Fujita, Kuma-Kogen, Ehime, Japan reports the object was not 
seen and fainter than magnitude 11.6 (CCD unfiltered) on Feb 18.850UT.

A spectrum of Feb 21.84UT, according to H. Naito of Japan does suggest 
this is a classical nova.

N. N. Samus, Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Advises that this probably nova has been given the designation V1281 
Sco.

Aaron Price, AAVSO reports that they have a preliminary sequence for the 
new object which can be plotted via their Variable Star Plotter at this 
URL:
http://www.aavso.org/observing/charts/vsp/

He adds:
Just put in "N SCO 07#2" as the name. We have five comp stars ranging 
from 89-103. They will all fit on a 120' plot. If you want to go 
straight to a 120', South-up plot use this URL:

                  http://tinyurl.com/23thvm

For those new to the VSP, be sure to look over the interface. You can 
customize most aspects of the chart (and it saves your settings when you 
come back later). A 120' plot for this field is currently taking about 
20 seconds, but that changes based on Internet traffic.

Guy M Hurst