Nova shells.

A search to find spatially resolved nova shells was carried out; two new shells (around FH Ser 1970 and V533 Her 1963) were discovered. The angular sizes measured at the current epoch of the eight previously known shells around novae which erupted prior to 1945 imply that the shells are coasting out at constant velocity. Expansion velocities, interstellar absorptions, and masses of the ejected material were determined for several recent novae. A new calibration of the maximum visual luminosity-rate of decline relationship for galactic novae is given.