------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2702 2011 Jan 01 20.42UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- POSSIBLE NOVA IN PISCES Hideo Nishimura, Japan, reports the discovery on CBET 2616 of a possible nova or new variable of mag 11.5 on four CCD frames (limiting magnitude 13.5) of 2010 Dec. 29.40 UT using a 200-mm f/3.2 lens with a Canon EOS 5D Digital camera mounted on a Takahashi EM100 equatorial telescope. On a similar image (limiting mag 14.0) taken on Dec. 25.39, Nishimura reports that the object appeared at mag about 13.7. Nishimura's measured position for the variable is: RA 23h 04m 25.83s DEC +06 25' 45.8" (2000). Nakano has measured the position end figures 25s.76 +/- 0s.05, 47".1 +/- 2".0 (probable error +/- 3") and mag 13.7 +/- 0.6 from two Dec. 29.4 BMP images supplied by Nishimura, calling into question the 11.5-magnitude figure reported by Nishimura. Nakano also forwards position end figures 25s.90, 46".0 (and magnitude 13.8) for the variable from K. Kadota (Ageo, Japan, 0.25-m f/5 reflector + SBIG ST-9E camera) from ten stacked, unfiltered 20-s CCD images (limiting mag 18.1) taken on Dec. 31.37, adding that Kadota found a USNO-B1.0-catalogue star at position end figures 25s.859, 46".03 with blue mag 19.8 and red mag 18.9. Nakano further adds that T. Yusa (Osaki, Japan) finds an object on a Digitized Sky Survey image from 1990 Oct. 14 at position end figures 25s.88, 45".8 (and mag 19.4 but no plate type or bandpass indicated). Guy M Hurst