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A recent Astronomers’ Telegram reports a new nova in Taurus: #ATel17950.
Probably too low for me to get a spectrum but very little interstellar reddening of this one so spectra are well worth attempting.
Mike.
Update: For what it’s worth, before and after images attached.-
This topic was modified 2 weeks, 5 days ago by .
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This topic was modified 2 weeks, 5 days ago by .
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This will be the first classical Nova discovered in Taurus since XX Tau – Nova Tau 1927 (I think).
Gary
This morning the Nova was magnitude 9.84V on Aug 09.1979 UT, using Slooh Canary 2 telescope. Bright field though, with the waning crescent Moon about 7 degrees away.
I’ve entered the observation into the VSS database using N Tau 2026. This is the first observation in the VSS DB, so please continue to use this until an official designation is announced – which I will then announce here.
A chart and sequence is available from the AAVSO using N Tau 2026. Mike Poxon (AAVSO chart team) very quickly added a sequence yesterday afternoon, after some nagging from me. Good bloke is Mike P.
Gary
Thanks Gary. I’ve attached a copy of the chart for info. Created using the AAVSO Chart Plotter page.
Mike.Attachments:
First attempt at a spectrum of the nova this morning. The sky was starting to brighten and the telescope only just cleared the observatory wall so a very narrow window of opportunity!
The image covers the same field as the AAVSO chart shown above with the nova near the centre. It shows a strong continuum but little sign of emission lines yet. I guess it is still in the hot, dense ‘fireball’ phase. As it expands and cools the emission lines should appear as the continuum fades in the ‘nebula’ phase…it will be fascinating to follow over the next few weeks.
As Gary mentions above it is bright. Two comparison star magnitudes are shown on the spectral image.
The spectrum was taken with a 26cm, 3 degree objective prism on a 12inch F/3.6 astrograph and unfiltered CMOS camera.
Mike.Attachments:
Hi Gary,
Got it at 8.818 V +/- 0.001 last night 2026-08-12 03:41 UT
Data in the database
Cheers
Ian.The latest Astronomer’s Telegram, ATel #17960 details more spectroscopic observations. A bit better than mine….but they do have a 2.0 meter telescope on La Palma…!
The narrow spectral lines don’t show well at the much lower resolution of my spectrum. But the atmospheric absorption (Telluric) bands are clearer…I’m looking through a lot more atmosphere than they are…(!)
Mike.A spectrum from this morning. (ALPY 600 ~12A resolution)
https://britastro.org/specdb/data_graph.php?obs_id=21286
Quite a change from the one posted in the ATel. Except for a narrow PCygni profiled H alpha, all other lines are in net absorption currently. It is also significantly red, (the one in the ATel had been rectified)Cheers
RobinUsed the 9 degree prism this morning to boost the resolution of my spectra. Much better result showing hydrogen emission lines (and a hint of Fe lines?). As Robin says, some drop off at the blue end from interstellar absorption.
Field of view 53 x 55 arc minutes with north and red up.
Yesterday I took a wider angle image to show the nova in context…just 3.5 degrees from the Crab Nebula.
Mike.Much better result showing hydrogen emission lines (and a hint of Fe lines?)
That is interesting. Unlike the spectra in the ATel and your latest spectrum, my spectrum from 20260813.103 definitely shows no net emission except for the H alpha P Cygni. (I’ve double checked everything and there is no obvious issue with the result so it looks like it has gone from emission to absorption and back to emission in a few days.
Cheers
RobinYes, it looks like the spectrum is changing rapidly. The spectrum this morning shows stronger emission lines and weaker continuum in line with the decreasing magnitude. Still processing the images to get a nicer picture but first look attached.
Given how the spectrum of Nova Aql 2026 changed so quickly it is well worth observing Nova Tau 2026 at every opportunity.
Weather here not looking too good for the next few days so it could be the end of the week before I get anything else.
Mike.
Update: Slightly better image now in the GalleryTwo more Astronomer’s Telegrams give updates on Nova Tau 2026 observations, see ATel#17970 and ATel#17972.
One gives details of the spectral evolution and confirms Robin’s results very nicely. Robin’s spectrum on 13th August coincided exactly with the almost featureless spectrum shown!!! Bad luck or what…
I was lucky to get spectra on 12th, 14th and 16th as the emission lines started to develop.
By the way…whatever happened to 2SPOT???. Some remote spectroscopy would be very useful given it’s cloudy here for the next few days.
Mike.New spectrum this morning after several days of cloud. Posted in the gallery: Spectrum 20260822.
Mike.The official name has been announced: V1452 Tau
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iau/cbet/005700/CBET005723.txt
Latest spectrum of the nova taken this morning is shown below. Seeing conditions didn’t seem as good as previous days so that may have degraded the spectrum a bit.
A new feature has appeared between H beta and H gamma. It looks very much like the ‘Bowen fluorescence’ feature seen in cataclysmic variables (plus some He II ?) as it is much broader than the other lines. Unfortunately, David Cejudo’s spectrum from 23rd cuts off just above this region(!). Difficult to tell from this uncalibrated spectrum but worth checking over the next few days. Fe lines seem to have changed slightly as well.
H alpha is now dominating the emission so I guess colour images would show it getting redder…
AAVSO data suggest it is now near V-mag 10.5 and falling…
Mike.Attachments:
A new feature has appeared between H beta and H gamma. It looks very much like the ‘Bowen fluorescence’ feature seen in cataclysmic variables (plus some He II ?) as it is much broader than the other lines
Yes it is there in my spectrum from last night. (blueward of where HeII would be) The spectrum has changed dramatically in just a day
https://britastro.org/specdb/data_graph.php?obs_id=21380%2C21367&multi=yes&mix_flux=yesCheers
RobinAttachments:
The spectrum has changed dramatically in just a day
The brightness also dropped by a magnitude (AAVSO light curve)
Spectrum from this morning confirming the ‘new’ feature suspected yesterday.
And the AAVSO light curve to illustrate Robin’s comment about the magnitude dropping as the spectrum changed. -
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