M31

Yes - at least I think it is. TheSky6 shows nothing of the brightness you have captured in that location. You'll need to check the magnitude of what you captured (using comparison stars) and see if its about mag 14/15. If so, I'd say that's a positive ID.

What you have captured could provide very beneficial data.

Dave

Here is the same region without my yellow indicator mark:


www.astroshack.net/images/Capture2.JPG

Dave

ok My bloody star map only goes down to 12 and a bit I'll have to find a mapwith 13+ mags n check this out. Much appreciate the help Dave...

DaveG

If you look at the suspected Nova (the one you marked with a yellow arrow), the brightest star just above it is mag 10.6 - you can see that on your star chart. The faint star just beneath and to the right of it is mag 14.6

The brightest star just beneath the Nova is mag 11.9. The faint star just above and to the left of it is mag 14.4. Your suspected Nova is between these. You have also captured another star which is not in TheSky6 - just below and to the left of the Nova. I don't see that in my chart but that's not unusual.

You could try Aladin for better finder images. Its a while since I used it but I found it very good for very faint stars. Aladin (web based) pulls images from various catalogues based on co-ordinates you give it.

But I'd be fairly sure you have the Nova - its brighter than the mag limit TheSky6 goes down to.

I'd definately chase this down if I were you. If there's anyone else on the boards that can chip in and help... If fact, no harm in posting a new thread asking for help. Some folks mightn't follow these "pretty picture" threads...

I'd help you out but I'm away until Sunday. But I could give you more help then, if no-one has mucked in.

I can try and do the lightcurve stuff using Canopus. But I'll need your images and cal frames and it'll take me a while - maybe even a day or two. But then hopefully someone else might chip in...

The most important thing is your timing - not long after the Nova was first reported. That could make your images really useful - especially if no-one else was imaging this area of sky at the same time or doesn't know there's a Nova been reported. So I'd really urge you to follow this through. Another direct way in which the amateur can contribute significantly to science!

Dave

Think I just barely registered this also, having been snapping the same area of sky on Thursday and last night with a 300mm lens. (nothing there last night registered, but Thursday's did.)



I know its not very clear and its not useful for verification purposes but it may add further weight. I had jokingly said to " 'er indoors " when I went out on Thursday that I was going to find a SN in Andromeda (its a small universe, who'd have thought that one would actually happen while I was shooting).

- John Murphy