------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2893 2013 Feb 07 20.24UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- BRIGHT NOVA IN MESSIER 81 K. Hornoch et. al., Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic, reports on The Astronomer's Telegram 4794 their discovery of a very bright nova in Messier 81 on a co-added 810-s unfiltered CCD frame taken on 2013 Feb. 6.990 UT with the 0.65-m telescope. The new object is located at: RA 09h 55m 51.23s DEC +69 01' 48.2" (2000), which is 96.9" E and 126.9" S of the centre of Messier 81. Other results: 2012 Dec. 9.18UT, [22.5 (unfiltered, R-band); 2013 Feb. 6.990, 18.2 +/- 0.1 (unfiltered, R-band); 7.002, R = 18.0 +/- 0.1; 7.016, V = 18.4 +/- 0.1; 7.032, B = 18.8 +/- 0.1. The object has absolute mag of -9.8 (using distance modulus = 27.8 for M81), which is comparable with maximum magnitude = -10.2 of M81N 2007-04b, the most luminous observed nova in M81. Spectroscopic follow-up is strongly encouraged. Discovery Image: http://www.asu.cas.cz/~asteroid/PNVJ09555123+6901482.png Guy M Hurst