2006MNRAS.369.1755M

Our CCD photometry of Nova Scuti 2005 N.1 shows it to be a fast nova, characterized by t₂= 15 and t₃= 28d, affected by an E(B - V) ∼ 1.9 mag reddening, appearing at a position (±0.04 arcsec) (±0.09 arcsec, J2000) and peaking at V ∼ 11.1 mag on ∼September 28.1 ut. Absolute spectrophotometry places it within the FeII class. The profile of emission lines is characterized by a double peak with a velocity separation of 690 km/s and a width at half intensity of 1200 km/s. The distance to the nova is 4±1 kpc, and its height above the Galactic plane is z = 80±20 pc. The highly crowded field affects a possible identification of the progenitor, whose pre-outburst magnitude should, however, have been 22 < V < 25 mag, thus below the limit of photographic surveys. A deep B V R_CI_Cphotometric sequence is provided to support continued observations of the advanced decline phases.