Nova Vulpeculae 2024.

[JeremyS]

I just put an announcement out to the BAA about this nova. I hope SGL members might be able to observe it……

It is not often that we have a relatively bright nova in the northern hemisphere, so I am sending this BAA Alert of the one recently discovered in the constellation of Vulpecula.

Nova Vul 2024 is currently 9th magnitude. Further details are in Gary Poyner's VSS Alert email below.

Location: RA 19 43 07.50 Dec +21 00 21.4  (J2000.0)

If you wish to observe this nova, you can produce finding charts to the scale and magnitude limit you prefer from the AAVSO chart plotter. Here is an example: 

https://apps.aavso.org/vsp/chart/?star=N+Vul+2024&orientation=visual&type=chart&fov=60.0&maglimit=14.0&resolution=150&north=up&east=left&dss=True&lines=True

It's very early on in the eruption, so we don't know what will happen next. Keep observing! There is a BAA Forum thread that will no doubt be updated as the eruption evolves.

Please submit any observations to the BAA VSS database. Images are also welcome (it is located in a rich field!) - the BAA Gallery is a good place to share them

Jeremy Shears

Director, Variable Star Section

From: baavss-alert@groups.io <baavss-alert@groups.io> on behalf of Gary Poyner 

Sent: 31 July 2024 08:17
To: Baavss Alert <baavss-alert@groups.io>
Subject: [baavss-alert] Nova Vul 2024

 

Discovered by the New MIlky Way survey on July 29.8 and announced on CBAT, ATel#16743  confirms it as a Classical Nova suffering from Galactic extinction. 

No announcements from AAVSO yet, although a chart and sequence are available using the designation PNV J19430751+2100204 or N Vul 2024.

 

Currently at magnitude 9.2CV   (AAVSO IDB)

Gary

 

-- 

------------------------------------------------------
Gary Poyner FRAS

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Thanks for the heads up. I will certainly give this one a go in my big binoculars if the skies clear

[Wikiastro]

Fantastic - weather is looking reasonable, so may be able to get out and have a look at this.  I've just spotted your email as I was playing around downloading a bunch of VSS section charts.  I was planning on trying my hand at some visual variable observing.  This is serendipity at it's finest!

[John]

Exciting - I was observing that part of the sky the night before last but was unaware of the nova. Something to have a look at next time out 🙂

[JeremyS]

Image taken by someone today: https://britastro.org/observations/observation.php?id=20240731_135808_85400732e67d812d

[robin_astro]

My spectrum from last night

https://britastro.org/specdb/data_graph.php?obs_id=16646

There are the usual P Cygni shaped emission lines characteristic of  a nova and the fact that it is much brighter in the red than the blue indicates that it is very reddened by interstellar dust

Cheers

Robin

[John]

Might have a crack at this one tonight 🙂

 

Edited Thursday at 19:11 by John

[Wikiastro]

Yeah, chucked it down and was horrible here in Wakefield yesterday. Absolutely beautiful so far. Let’s have a go!

[John]

58 minutes ago, John said:

Might have a crack at this one tonight 🙂

 

But the clouds have a different plan apparently ......... 🤨

[John]

1 hour ago, John said:

But the clouds have a different plan apparently ......... 🤨

Clouds have relented. Pretty sure that I have got the nova with the 100mm refractor. If you can find that little kinked line of 4 stars (2 at mag 11 and 2 around mag 9.8) then the fainter pair point at the nova's position.

My estimate tonight for the nova is around magnitude 10.5 but I'm not experienced in these things so I'll wait for estimates from more experienced observers / imagers.

The photo posted by @JeremyS above was helpful in finding it visually as was Stellarium for getting to the little kinked line of stars. Start by finding 9 Vulpecula and then move slowly west to find the 4 stars in a kinked line (which is a small asterism). Not much else in that small part of the sky that will show in a 10cm aperture !

 

Edited Thursday at 21:39 by John

[JeremyS]

Nice job, John.

Btw another cracking image here: https://britastro.org/observations/observation.php?id=20240801_030006_4308a682629c00a7

[John]

1 minute ago, JeremyS said:

Nice job, John.

Btw another cracking image here: https://britastro.org/observations/observation.php?id=20240801_030006_4308a682629c00a7

That is wonderful !

Needless to say, my view at 150x with my 100mm Tak was "unhindered" by 95% of those fainter stars - which might make zeroing in on the nova easier !

 

[John]

Here are a couple of Stellarium screen shots (refractor view so N = top and E & W reversed) which might help find this nova. The 1st shows 9 and 12 Vulpec for the general location. The 2nd shows the close up view. 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 22:23 by John

[robin_astro]

The H alpha line is dominating the spectrum now. Here is the H alpha line profile radial velocity at high resolution showing the speed of the expanding fireball

[JeremyS]

Here’s an image I took through my Takahashi FS60 last night

[JeremyS]

The nova has now received the official variable star name of V615 Vul.