Abstract
A NOVA of the third magnitude was discovered on the night of June 18–19 by Dr. Nielsen, of Aarhus, Denmark, who happened at the time to be one of a party of astronomers on board the P. and O. steamer Strathaird which was going to view the total eclipse of June 19 from a station off the coast of Greece. The nova was observed through cloud in England on the night of June 19–20; estimates of the magnitude were difficult to make on account of the cloud, but the star was probably not brighter than the second magnitude. The spectrum was photographed at Greenwich and found to be of F type with strong absorption lines and weak emission bands, recalling the spectrum of Nova Herculis 1934 on December 23, 1934. Unfortunately, the weather has not been favourable for observations in and about London as we go to press, but according to Dr. Steavenson the nova is already decreasing in brightness. An accurate position was obtained at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, with Airy's transit circle on the morning of June 21 by Mr. Symms, who estimated a magnitude of 3.0 m. The apparent position referred to the equinox of date (June 21, 1936) is R.A. 22h 13m 22.5s, Dec.+55° 17′ 51″. The nova may still be a naked-eye object for a few nights to come: since it is so far north, it is visible throughout these short nights, although the meridian transit takes place in the early morning. The nova should be identified readily as follows. Half-way between the constellation of Cassiopeia and the conspicuous figure of Cygnus is an equilateral triangle of stars formed by 8 Cephei, £ Cephei and the nova; half-way between the nova (the southernmost of the three) and £ Cephei is a centre star, e Cephei.
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Nova Lacertæ 1936. Nature 137, 1064 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/1371064d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1371064d0