------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2775 2011 Oct 26 09.55UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIABLE STAR IN SAGITTARIUS (PNV J18441516-1732310) Yukio Sakurai, Japan reports on CBET 2865 discovery of a possible nova (mag 11.2) in Sagittarius located at: RA 18h 44m 15s DEC -17 32.5' (2000) on CCD frames (limiting mag 13.0) obtained on 2011 Oct. 3.42UT using a Fuji FinePix Digital Camera + Nikon 180-mm f/2.8 lens. Nothing is visible on a frame by Sakurai on Sept. 27.5 (limiting mag 12.4). Sakurai obtained a confirming image on Oct. 4.45, from which Nakano measured mag 11.5 and position: RA 18h 44m 15.20s DEC -17 32' 36.7" Noguchi mentions that there is a star very close to this position on a red 1992 Digitized Sky Survey image. Seiichiro Kiyota, Japan reports magnitudes B = 13.00, V = 11.64, R = 10.14, and I = 7.62 on an image of Oct. 5.15 UT with a 0.25-m reflector + CCD using comparison star TYC 6284-570; he measures position end figures 14s.95, 33".5, and his image is posted at website URL http://meineko.sakura.ne.jp/ccd/PNV_J18441516-1732310-111005.jpg. Wolfgang Renz, Karlsruhe, Germany, reports that a search of the major astrometric catalogues spanning observations from 1972-2002 indicate it is perhaps a Mira-type variable star that is relatively red, suggesting its identity with the infrared objects IRAS 18413-1735 and AKARI 1844149-173233, with an amplitude of 3-4 mag in the visual band and a period close to one year; he provides the following mean position from a dozen catalogues: RA 18h 44m 14.959s DEC -17 32' 33.58" (2000). Renz also suggests possible identity with NSV 11264. M. Fujii, Fujii Kurosaki Observatory and others report that they obtained low- resolution optical spectra on Oct. 6.5 UT at the Fujii Kurosaki Observatory (R = 500) and Higashi-Hiroshima Observatory of Hiroshima University (R = 400). The spectra suggests it should be classified as a Mira-type variable star. Guy M Hurst