Nova Scorpii 2004 No. 2

H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, forwards the following position for this object (cf. IAUC 8380) measured by K. Itagaki from an unfiltered CCD image taken on Aug. 5.475 UT (with poor sky conditions; the new object was at mag 8.0): R.A. = 17h29m18s.81, Decl. = -31o46'01".5 (equinox 2000.0). This appears nearly identical with the location of a very red catalogued star whose USNO-A2.0 position end figures are 18s.818, 01".68 (blue mag 19.7, red mag 17.4), and whose 2MASS position end figures are 18s.82, 01".5 (J = 14.4). Yamaoka adds that a low-resolution spectrum of the new object, taken by M. Fujii, Bisei, Okayama, Japan, on Aug. 5.49, shows broad H_alpha and H_beta emissions with P-Cyg profiles (H_alpha FWHM = 3000 km/s), along with several Fe II and O I emission lines -- suggesting that the object is a classical nova. W. Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile, writes that the nova was fainter than mag 11.0 on a Technical Pan film exposed (with an orange filter) on July 19.40.