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- Circular No. 5362
- Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
- INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
- Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
- Telephone 617-495-7244/7440/7444 (for emergency use only)
- TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM EASYLINK 62794505
- MARSDEN or GREEN@CFA.BITNET MARSDEN or GREEN@CFAPS2.SPAN
-
-
- NOVA IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD 1991
- S. Shore, Computer Sciences Corporation and Goddard Space
- Flight Center; S. Starrfield, Arizona State University; and G.
- Sonneborn, Goddard Space Flight Center, report: "Low-dispersion
- spectra (115.0-200.0 nm, resolution 0.6 nm) of Nova LMC 1991 were
- obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite on
- Sept. 2.29 and 29.61 UT, when the integrated ultraviolet fluxes
- (120-195 nm) were 9.27 and 7.87 x 10E-12 erg sE-1 cmE-2, respective-
- ly. The value on Sept. 29 corresponds to a dereddened ultraviolet
- luminosity of 2000 L(sun) [assuming E(B-V) = 0.15 and a distance to
- the LMC of 55 kpc]. The ultraviolet spectrum obtained on Sept. 29
- shows strong nebular emission lines with the following integrated
- fluxes (10E-12 erg sE-1 cmE-2): N V 120-nm, 22.9; N IV 149-nm,
- 12.1; C IV 155-nm, 12.9; N III] 175-nm, 6.66; and C III] 190-nm,
- 3.87. The FWHM of the stronger lines is 2700 km/s. He II 164-nm
- was absent on the Sept. 2 spectrum and weakly present on Sept. 29.
- The appearance of He II suggests that the far-ultraviolet optical
- depth of the ejected shell is decreasing. O III] 167-nm is also
- present but was too weak to measure. The changes in the emission
- line fluxes over the past few weeks indicate that the ionization is
- continuing to increase, as both the N IV/N III and C IV/C III emis-
- sion line ratios have increased by 20 +/- 7 percent since Sept. 2,
- but N V/N IV has remained constant. The increase in ionization is
- expected from our previous studies of novae emission lines. Since
- the source became optically thin in Fe II about 100 days prior to
- these spectra, the integrated ultraviolet flux has remained virtual-
- ly constant even though the ionization state has steadily increased.
- We are continuing our IUE observations, and urge continued monitor-
- ing of this star by ground-based observers."
-
-
- PERIODIC COMET FAYE (1991n)
- Total visual magnitude estimates (cf. IAUC 5356): Oct. 3.09 UT,
- 10.2 (A. Pereira, Cabo da Roca, Portugal, 0.15-m reflector); 4.89,
- 9.9 (A. Boattini, Florence, Italy, 0.33-m reflector); 6.27, 9.8 (C.
- S. Morris, Lockwood Valley, CA, 0.51-m reflector; 10' tail in p.a.
- about 250 deg); 8.29, 9.6 (C. Spratt, Victoria, BC, 0.20-m reflec-
- tor); 9.11, 9.9 (J. E. Bortle, Stormville, NY, 0.32-m reflector).
-
-
- 1991 October 10 Daniel W. E. Green