Nova Sagittarii 1999

P. Garnavich, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, reports that spectra of N Sgr 1999 obtained by E. Howell (University of Puerto Rico) and A. Soderberg (Bates College) with the McDonald Observatory 2.1-m telescope on Apr. 27.5 UT show H-alpha with a clear P-Cyg profile. The emission has a width of 800 km/s (FWHM) and the deep absorption feature has an equivalent width (EW) of 0.7 nm, blueshifted by 1200 km/s. H-beta is observed in absorption with only a small emission peak. Permitted Fe II absorption lines of multiplet 42 are seen at 490.97, 500.39, and 515.41 nm, and strong Na I absorption is also visible with EW = 0.4 nm. The spectrum is consistent with a nova near or before maximum light.