February 23, 2010: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams CBET 2183 (Daniel W. E. Green, ed.) announces the discovery by Koichi Nishiyama, Kurume, Fukuoka-ken, Japan; and Fujio Kabashima, Miyaki-cho, Saga-ken, Japan, of a possible nova in Scorpius at magnitude 10.5 on two 40-s unfiltered CCD frames (limiting magnitude 12.7) taken around Feb. 20.857 UT. They confirmed the new object at magnitude 10.3 on unfiltered CCD frames (limiting magnitude 17.4-17.6) taken around Feb. 21.832 and magnitude 10.7 on Feb. 22.846 from which they measured the following precise position:
R.A. = 17:06:07.53, Decl. = -37:14:27.4 +/- 0.2" (equinox 2000.0)
Nothing was visible on survey frames taken on 2009 Sept. 18.425 down to 13.6 and Oct. 3.414 down to 12.3, or on a Digitized Sky Survey plate from 1997 Apr. 2.8 down to red mag 18.0.
Following posting on the Central Bureau's unconfirmed-objects webpage, other observers have reported observations of the new variable, including R. Kaufman, Bright, Victoria, Australia, Feb. 22.594, unfiltered green-channel magnitude 11.4; S. Kiyota, Tsukuba, Japan (Global-rent-a-scope instrument at Moorook, South Australia), position end figures 07.51s, 26.9", Feb. 22.701, V = 12.03; 22.702, B = 13.09; 22.703, R_c = 10.70; 22.705, I_c = 9.65; E. Guido and G. Sostero (GRAS instrument at Moorook), position end figures 07.50s, 27.7", Feb. 22.8, unfiltered CCD magnitude 10.1; an animation showing their image with respect to an archival DSS plate is posted at website URL http://bit.ly/9wAoFN.
Finder charts for N Sco 2010 may be plotted by entering the coordinates above into VSP: http://www.aavso.org/vsp
Please report observations to the AAVSO International Database as N SCO 2010, VSX J170607.5-371427, or AUID 000-BJT-504; N SCO 2010 is preferred.
Good observing!
Elizabeth O. Waagen, Senior Technical Assistant
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