Possible Nova in Eridanus

Hitoshi Yamaoka, Kyushu University, reports the discovery by K. Itagaki (Yamagata, Japan) of a possible nova (mag 8.1) caught on Nov. 25.536 UT with his 0.21-m patrol system. A confirming image taken by Itagaki on Nov. 25.545 with a 0.60-m reflector shows the object at R.A. = 4h47m54s.21, Decl. = -10d10'43".1 (equinox 2000.0). Itagaki notes that there is a faint (mag about 15) object near this position on his archival patrol images. Yamaoka suggests that it might be the brightening of a 15th-mag blue star that is contained in many catalogues (USNO-B1.0 position end figures 54s.19, 42".9), noting that the amplitude of seven magnitudes is rather large for a dwarf nova, but somewhat small for a rapid classical nova. Yamaoka adds that the ASAS-3 system (Pojmanski 2002, Acta. Astron. 52, 397) also detected this object at the following V magnitudes: Nov. 10.236 UT, [14.0:; 19.241, 7.34; 22.179, 7.98; 24.269, 8.12.