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IAUC 8582: Sats OF (87); N SMC 2005

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                                                  Circular No. 8582
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Mailstop 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://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html  ISSN 0081-0304
Phone 617-495-7440/7244/7444 (for emergency use only)


SATELLITES OF (87) SYLVIA
     F. Marchis, Department of Astronomy, University of California,
Berkeley; and P. Descamps, D. Hestroffer, and J. Berthier, Institut
de Mecanique Celeste et de Calcul des Ephemerides, Observatoire de
Paris, report the discovery of a new satellite of (87) Sylvia
(Marchis et al. 2005, Nature 436, 822).  S/2004 (87) 1, of diameter
perhaps 7 km, with maximum separation 0".44 from the primary, has a
prograde near-circular orbit with estimated a = 710 km, P = 1.379
days.  Another satellite, S/2001 (87) 1, of diameter perhaps 18 km,
previously reported by M. E. Brown and J.-L. Margot (IAUC 7588), is
estimated by Marchis et al. to have a = 1360 km, P = 3.650 days.
Bearing in mind that the discoverer (Pogson 1866, MNRAS 26, 311)
named (87) Sylvia for Rhea Sylvia (or Silvia), the mother of
Romulus, with his twin brother the alleged founder of Rome, the IAU
Committee on Small-Body Nomenclature has approved the permanent
designations and names (87) Sylvia I = Romulus and (87) Sylvia II =
Remus for the outer satellite S/2001 (87) 1 and the inner satellite
S/2004 (87) 1, respectively.


NOVA IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD 2005
     W. Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile, reports his discovery, on two
Tech Pan films taken on Aug. 6.388 UT with a 0.2-m Schmidt camera,
of a possible nova (mag approximately 10.4) located at R.A. =
1h15m.0, Decl. = -73o26' (equinox 2000.0); a photo on Mar. 23
showed nothing at this position to mag 13.  L. A. G. Monard,
Pretoria, S. Africa, reports the following CCD position of the new
object:  R.A. = 1h14m59s.92, Decl. = -73o25'35".8 (uncertainty +/-
0".2; with magnitudes B = 12.0, V = 11.6, and R = 10.8 around Aug.
7.84).
     E. Mason, European Southern Observatory (ESO); A. Brandeker,
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto; A.
Ederoclite, ESO; and M. Della Valle, Istituto Nazionale di
Astrofisica, Osservatorio di Arcetri, confirm that the new object
discovered by Liller is a classical nova in outburst.  An echelle
spectrogram (range 420-840 nm) of the nova was taken on Aug. 8.17
UT with the ESO New Technology Telescope (+ EMMI).  A preliminary
analysis shows that the spectrum is dominated by Balmer, Fe II (42
and 74), and Na I (1) emission lines.  The H_beta emission line
appears as strong as the H_alpha line.  The line profile of the
Balmer emissions is very broad and slightly asymmetric with a
stronger blue peak.  The average FWHM measured on the Balmer lines
is about 3200 km/s.  There is a marginal evidence of a P-Cyg
absorption on the blue wing of the H_beta emission, which possibly
indicates an expansion velocity of about 2100 km/s.

                      (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT
2005 August 11                 (8582)            Daniel W. E. Green

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