Nova in Cas

[JeremyS]

News in from Kato-san at vsnet overnight that V1405 Cas might be brightening.  Several observers in Japan reported vis or V=7.4 on Apr. 26. He notes "The nova before this brightening was apparently in "premaximum halt" ".

Time will tell - further observations encouraged!

[John]

On 28/04/2021 at 09:06, JeremyS said:

News in from Kato-san at vsnet overnight that V1405 Cas might be brightening.  Several observers in Japan reported vis or V=7.4 on Apr. 26. He notes "The nova before this brightening was apparently in "premaximum halt" ".

Time will tell - further observations encouraged!

I managed to have a quick look at the nova just now with my 4 inch refractor, though a convenient cloud gap (there have not been too many tonight ) and it still seems to be around the same brightness, maybe a touch brighter, certainly no dimmer than the last time I observed it.

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by John

[Bajastro]

My collection of Nova Cas 2021 spectral observations:

Spectral lines identification based on:
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1208/1208.0380.pdf

Edited May 6, 2021 by Bajastro

[JeremyS]

Latest obs in last 24 hour have the nova at 7.1 to 7.2 vis or V

[laudropb]

Hope to get a chance to view it tonight Jeremy. Been cloudy here for a week .

[Stu]

Might have a go myself, likely just with the Telementor as too tired for anything else...

[Paul M]

We're certainly getting value for money from this nova!

I was actually going over some of my images of it today, trying to prefect the photometry facility in ASTAP. My last mag value was over 9 but for some reason (me!) that was miles out!

Hopefully I will get another go at this before the N sky is lost to twilight.

[John]

Just observing this nova now with the 12 inch dob.

Definitely brighter now. Not far off the brightness of nearby mag 6.7 star SAO 20626. Around mag 7 I'd say. Easily visible in the 50mm finder.

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by John

[John]

6 minutes ago, John said:

Just observing this nova now with the 12 inch dob.

Definitely brighter now. Not far off the brightness of nearby mag 6.7 star SAO 20626. Around mag 7 I'd say. Easily visible in the 50mm finder.

 

And not too difficult with 8x30 binoculars, when you know where to look

[Stu]

13 hours ago, John said:

And not too difficult with 8x30 binoculars, when you know where to look

I was trying to find an ‘Au contraire Blackadder’ clip to post, but realised it wasn’t necessarily suitable for family friendly SGL! 🤣🤣

So far I’ve not found it possible in binoculars from here (8x42s) due to light pollution - it’s in the direction of London from here so not good. I’ll try again now it has brightened a bit though.

[IB20]

Wow, this got super visible! I’d say it’s looking brighter than HD220819 which SkySafari has at mag 6.6.

[John]

5 minutes ago, IB20 said:

Wow, this got super visible! I’d say it’s looking brighter than HD220819 which SkySafari has at mag 6.6.

Yes, I thought it was very close to that stars brightness last night (I think HD220819 is the same as SAO 20626).

[Stu]

That sounds exciting! Hope this cloud clears soon!

[laudropb]

Clear here but N horizon still not fully dark.

[Littleguy80]

44 minutes ago, IB20 said:

Wow, this got super visible! I’d say it’s looking brighter than HD220819 which SkySafari has at mag 6.6.

Agree. Just now looked. Definitely the brightest I’ve seen it. Very obvious even in the 9x50 finder. 

[John]

Very cloudy here - no chance to see anything astro-wise.

Hope others get a look at it. I wonder how bright it will get ?

@JeremyS said earlier in the thread that the previous brightness plateau was thought to be a "premaximum halt" phase so is this the final surge of brightening ?.

Time and observation will tell 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by John

[JeremyS]

9 minutes ago, John said:

Very cloudy here - no chance to see anything astro-wise.

Hope others get a look at it. I wonder how bright it will get ?

@JeremyS said earlier in the thread that the previous brightness plateau was thought to be a "premaximum halt" phase so is this the final surge of brightening ?.

Time and observation will tell 

 

Could be, John. I’ve seen a handful of obs this evening that have it at mag 6.0 or brighter.

As you say: keep observing!

Edited May 7, 2021 by JeremyS

[Pixies]

Saw it tonight. Despite the formal lack of astro darkness, which only ended a few days ago, the sky was as dark as it normally gets here (all 7 main stars of Ursa Minor visible). M52 as clear as I've seen it from here.

The Nova is the brightest I've seen it. Easily as bright as HD220819 (as @IB20 observed)

[John]

Nova Delphini got to magnitude 4.3 in 2013 and was a naked eye nova. Has there been a naked eye one since then ?

 

[laudropb]

Finally got to see it after midnight. Certainly obviously brighter than my last view 10 days ago but difficult to put an accurate comparison because of sky brightness.

[bish]

Taken my eye off the ball with this one. Fingers crossed it"s clear tonight.

[Pixies]

https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=14614

"Large brightness increase of V1405 Cas (Nova Cas 2021) to naked-eye visibility"

-  this morning, Apr 8.094 UT, we obtained V=5.740

 

 

[JeremyS]

Image taken by Martin Mobberley this morning (May 8, 10.11 UT) using an iTelescope in New Mexico on the BAA website here.

He had it at mag V = 5.87.

[PeterW]

Aavso shows a rapid uplift too… wonder what it’s upto…. 
 

peter

[Wyvern]

Latest image from the 6th May.

Les.