2012CBET.3166....1N

Koichi Nishiyama, Kurume, Japan; and Fujio Kabashima, Miyaki, Japan, report their discovery of possible nova (mag 7.8) on two 40-s unfiltered CCD frames (limiting magnitude 13.7) taken around July 7.4986 UT using a 105-mm f/4 camera lens (+ SBIG STL6303E camera). Five 3-s unfiltered CCD confirming frames (limiting magnitude 17.0) were taken around July 7.5091 using a Meade 200R 0.40-m f/9.8 reflector (+ SBIG STL1001E camera); they provided the position for the new variable star as R.A. = 18:20:27.26, Decl. = -27:44:26.3 (equinox 2000.0), though they did not specify which image or instrumentation was used for the astrometry. The variable was designated PNV J18202726-2744263 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage. Additional magnitudes for PNV J18202726-2744263: June 12.637, [13.6 (Nishiyama and Kabashima); June 13.609, [13.3 (Nishiyama and Kabashima); June 20, [13 (Hideo Nishimura, Miyawaki, Kakegawa, Shizuoka-ken, Japan, Canon EOS 5D Digital Camera + Canon 200-mm f/3.2 lens; communicated by S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan); June 28, [9.0 (Hiroshi Kaneda, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Japan; Nikon D40 Digital Camera + 105-mm f/2.5 lens; communicated by Nakano); June 29, [8.6 (Kaneda); July 7.496, 8.9 (Nishimura; independent discovery on four 15-s exposures as above; limiting mag 14.7; observing site Mt. Ogasa, Kakegawa; position end figures 27s.11, 26".1); July 7.499, 7.8 (Kaneda; independent discovery on four unfiltered 3-s frames as above; limiting mag 8.7; position end figures 27s.59, 26".2; positional uncertainty stated as ± 15"); July 7.520, 7.7 (Shizuo Kaneko, Kamiyashiki, Kakegawa, Shizuoka-ken, Japan; independent discovery on two 10-s frames taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera + Canon 200-mm f/2.8 lens; position end figures 27s.30, 26".5; communicated by Nakano); July 7.613, I_c = 6.89 (Hiroyuki Maehara, Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto University; 0.25-m telescope); July 7.617, R_c = 7.31 (Maehara); July 7.618, V = 7.77 (Maehara); July 7.620, B = 8.18 (Maehara).

Maehara also forwards a report from Mitsugu Fujii (Okayama, Japan), who obtained a low-resolution spectrum (R about 500, range 390-950 nm) of PNV J18202726-2744263 on July 7.629 UT with a 40-cm telescope at the Fujii Kurosaki Observatory. The spectrum shows Balmer series, Fe II multiplets 37, 42, 48, 49, 55, 73, and 74; Na I D; O I 777.3- and 844.6-nm; and Ca II 849.8- and 854.2-nm lines in emission. These features indicate that the variable is a "Fe II"-class nova. His spectrum has been posted at website URL http://otobs.org/FBO/novae/pnv_j18202726-2744263.htm.