2005IAUC.8506....2E

A. Ederoclite, E. Mason, and M. Stefanon, European Southern Observatory, report that spectroscopic observations, made on Apr. 5.38 UT at the La Silla 2.2-m telescope (+ FEROS; spectral range 380-900 nm, resolution 48000), confirm that V378 Ser is a 'Fe II' nova in outburst, with the spectrum dominated by strong H_alpha and O I (1) and (4) emission lines at 777.3 and 844.6 nm. The low ionization emission lines from Fe II (multiplets 27, 28, 37, 42, 48, 49, and 74), Na I (21), and Ca II (1) are also present. All the Balmer and the O I lines are flanked by strong, double P-Cyg absorptions, which provide average expansion velocities of 1340 ± 40 and 820 ± 40 km/s. The bluest P-Cyg absorption is very broad and results from a blend of two distinct absorptions; these two components are clearly resolved in the Fe II multiplet 42, providing expansion velocities of about 1350 and about 1200 km/s. The interstellar extinction appears relatively high due to the fact that the Na D absorption is saturated.