COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
         INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                       NUMBER 19

                                          Konkoly Observatory
                                          Budapest
                                          30 January 1963


                  NOVA URSAE MINORIS 1956
        (1900.0: RA 16h51m57s, Decl. +77deg12'.3)

     The star discovered by Satyvaldiev (s. Inf. Bull. on Var. Stars
No. 18) could be observed on 53 sky-patrol plates between December 26,
1956 and July 18, 1958. Its brightness decreased very slowly with
small irregular fluctuations. The mean photographic magnitude was at
the end of 1956 9m.0, in the middle of 1957 9m.5, then it dropped
somewhat faster to 11m.0 in September 1957. At the beginning of 1958
it reached 12m.0 and became weaker than 13m.0 in May 1958.

    I believe Prof. Kukarkin's first assumption in No. 18 of this
Bulletin is the most probable. The high galactic latitude (+33deg) is not
inconsistent with the assumption that the star is a galactic Nova. Nova
Arietis (1854) lies at -38deg, Nova T Coronae Borealis even at +49deg.

    Also the large amplitude has a predecessor. Nova Cygni was
before its outburst 17m and reached 1m.5. Therefore the amplitude of
this galactic Nova has been 15m.5 or more.

     If the star would be a type I Supernova with the absolute
magnitude -18M, then it must have flashed in a very faint member of
the local system. The brightest stars of this galaxy must be fainter
than -3M. Furthermore a type I Supernova becomes fainter by a half
in 55d. Since the star had 9m.0 at the end of 1956, it should have reached
about 16m in the middle of 1958, but it was still about 13m at this time.

     The light-curve observed at Sonneberg resembles the behaviour
of Nova Aquilae in the first three months after its eruption. Nova
Aquilae became fainter by 2m in 200d, Nova Ursae Minoris by 4m in
500d, both with small irregular fluctuations. Assuming that the 
observation of September 24, 1956 does not show the true maximum but
the magnitude about 5d after it, the brightness of the Nova could have
been about 3m.5 near September 19, 1956 - similarly to Nova Aquilae,
which was during its maximum about 5m.5 brighter than 90d later. But
this supposed maximum could hardly be observed because full moon
happened at September 20, 1956.

     Summing up all three reasons I suggest that the Nova Ursae
Minoris 1956 was a galactic Nova with somewhat unusual but not
impossible position and amplitude.

     Further information will be given in the MVS.

                                          P. AHNERT
                                    Sonneberg Observatory




              A NEW BRIGHT ECLIPSING VARIABLE


BV 412 = BD + 69deg389 (7m.7) = HD 48049 (A0)
Min = JD 2426350.640 + 0d.771345.E
Details in the Bamberg Publications.

                                        W. STROHMEIER
                                     Remeis Observatory
                                           Bamberg