2009CBET.1971....1P

P. Podigachoski, M. Henze, W. Pietsch, and V. Burwitz, Max-Planck- Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE); G. Papamastorakis and P. Reig, FORTH and Department of Physics, University of Crete; and A. Strigachev, Institute of Astronomy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, report the discovery of an apparent nova, designated M31N 2009-10c, very close to the core of M31 on three consecutive dithered stacked CCD images (limiting magnitude 18.5) obtained on Oct. 9.08 UT with the 1.3-m Ritchey-Chretien f/7.5 telescope at Skinakas Observatory (Crete, Greece) using an Andor DZ436-BV CCD Camera (with a Marconi 2000x2000 chip with 13.5-micron-square pixels) and a broad (7.5-nm) H-alpha filter. The new object is clearly visible on the three individual images and one additional image taken at Oct. 9.12 at magnitude 17.2 (photometric solution using R magnitudes of the Local Group Survey M31 catalogue of Massey et al. 2006, A.J. 131, 2478). The nova is located at R.A. = 0:42:45.76, Decl. = +41:15:57.1 (equinox 2000.0; uncertainty 0".3), which is 16" east and 12" south of the nucleus of M31. No object is visible at this position on an H-alpha image obtained with the same telescope and camera on Aug. 30.07 (limiting magnitude 18.5).