Electronic Telegram No. 924 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions) CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science) URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html APPARENT NOVAE IN M81 K. Hornoch, Lelekovice, Czech Republic; and V. Pribik, P. Cagas, and P. Cagas, Jr., Zlin, Czech Republic, report the discovery of two possible novae in M81. The new objects were found on unfiltered, co-added images (with typical total exposure time of 7200 s) taken by P. Cagas with the 0.265-m telescope at Zlin Observatory. The first object was discovered on Apr. 8.874 UT AND is located at R.A. = 9h55m28s.58, Decl. +69o04'21".6 (equinox 2000.0), which is 24".6 west and 26".5 north of the center of M81. The second object was first detected on Apr. 11.865 and is located at R.A. = 9h55m31s.30, Decl. +69o05'28".9, which is 10".0 west and 93".8 north of the center of M81. Available magnitudes for the first object by Hornoch (from unfiltered CCD images, unless otherwise noted, using R-band magnitudes from comparison stars): 2002 Dec. 24.184, [22.7 (2.54-m Isaac Newton Telescope at La Palma; Sloan r-band); 2005 Nov. 6.266, [22.9 (4.2-m William Herschel Telescope at La Palma; R-band); 2007 Jan. 24.302, [21.9 (P. Garnavich, 3.5-m WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak; R-band); Mar. 4.968, [20.5 (K. Hornoch, 0.65-m reflector at Ondrejov, Czech Republic); Apr. 5.812, 19.0: (Hornoch, 0.65-m reflector at Ondrejov; prediscovery); 8.874, 19.2 (P. Cagas and P. Cagas, Jr., at Zlin); 11.865, 19.5 (Cagas); 12.909, 19.4 (V. Pribik, at Zlin); 13.932, 20.0: (Cagas and Cagas, Jr.); 14.858, 20.2: (Cagas). Available magnitudes for the second object by Hornoch (as above): 2002 Dec. 24.184 UT, [22.7 (INT at La Palma; Sloan r-band); 2005 Jan. 8.517, [24.0 (8.3-m Subaru telescope at Mauna Kea; V-band ); 2005 Nov. 6.266, [23.0 (WHT at La Palma; R-band ); 2007 Jan. 24.302, [22.0 (P. Garnavich, WIYN telescope; R-band); Mar. 4.968, [21.0 (K. Hornoch, 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov); Apr. 5.812, [21.3 (Hornoch, 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov); 8.874, [21.0 (Cagas and Cagas, Jr.); 11.865, 19.9 (Cagas); 12.909, 19.2 (Pribik); 13.932, 18.7 (Cagas and Cagas, Jr.); 14.858, 17.6 (Cagas); 14.917, 17.7 (Hornoch, 0.35-m reflector at Lelekovice); 14.989, 17.7 (Hornoch, 0.35-m reflector at Lelekovice). Note that raw images from the INT and WHT were obtained from the ING archive, and images from the Subaru telescope were obtained from the SMOKA Science Archive. J. M. Silverman, R. J. Foley, and A. V. Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley, report that inspection of relatively-low-quality CCD spectra (range 330-920 nm), obtained of the second (brighter) apparent nova described above on Apr. 15 UT with the Keck I 10-m telescope (+ LRIS), shows a nearly featureless blue continuum with wide (FWHM = 940 km/s) H-alpha absorption. After removing the host galaxy's velocity of -34 km/s (de Vaucouleurs et al. 1991, Third Ref. Catalogue of Bright Galaxies, Version 3.9), the minimum of the H-alpha absorption is found to be blueshifted by 870 km/s. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2007 CBAT 2007 April 15 (CBET 924) Daniel W. E. Green