Image of the Month - September 2005

Dwarf Nova

Astrometrica is mostly used for observations of the minor bodies of the solar system - asteroids and comets. But now, we can add another dwarf to the list of celestial bodies observed with this software: A Dwarf Nova. The outburst of the cataclysmic variable now known as 955+22C VAR VUL 05 or OT_J195951.3+224232 was discovered by Jörg Hanisch in Germany near the prominent planetary nebula Messier 27. Hans-Göran Lindberg in Sweden independently found the Nova the next night. The dwarf nova peaked at magnitude 15, and a probable progenitor has been identified in deep archive images at magnitude 22,5.

Credit & Copyright: Jörg Hanisch, Gescher, Germany

Jörg Hanisch, who found the Nova on his CCD images from 2005 August 17, writes: "I received my new Celestron 11 telescope on August 12, and wanted to test the optics with my webcam on the 17^th. There was some time left afterwards, so I quickly mounted the CCD and shot M27. I saw impressive images of it, taken with the same equipment, in the Internet, so I though I can compare mine with these." During the comparison, Hanisch noted the new star. "What remains to say is that the complete initial astrometry and photometry was done with Astrometrica".

The discovery image, shown above, is a stack of 16 images, each a 20 second exposure, taken with a Starlight Express SXV-H9 CCD camera on a Celestron C11 at f/9.4. Congratulations, Jörg!

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