COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
        INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                     NUMBER 272

                                    Konkoly Observatory
                                    Budapest
                                    1968 April 30


                        NOVA VUL 1968


At the position of Nova Vul 1968 before the outburst was a faint double star of
separation 6", p.a. 115d, and m_pg approximately 16.5 and 18. Differential
measurement of a new direct photograph of the field against a Crossley negative
taken in 1935 indicates that the prenova was the brighter (northwestern) star
of this pair. Two Crossley slitless spectrograms of the area exposed in 1953
show the continuous spectra of both components, and demonstrate that neither
had H_alpha in emission at that time. The 1968 Nova is none of the stars that
have been suspected in the past of being the remnant of Nova Vul (CK Vul) 1670
on the basis of variability or color (for example by Humason, Ap.J. 88, 228,
1938; most recent work is by Wachmann, Kl. Veroff. Bamberg Nr. 34, 119, 1962
and Astr. Abh. Hamburger Sternw. 6, Nr. 4 319, 1966.)

23 April 1968
                                            G.H. HERBIG
                                            Lick Observatory
                                            University of California
                                            Santa Cruz, California 95060
                                            U.S.A.





      PHOTOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS OF PRAENOVA VULPECULAE 1968


A star which probably should be considered as praenova Vulpeculae 1968 has been
estimated on plates of the Sonneberg field Phi Cygni. The following table
gives the observed values of the brightness, partly as mean values of several
(n) exposures.

J.D.                     n
2429087...9193   16.^m4  7
   9365          16.9    1
2430847          16.6    1
   6541...6698   16.2   15
   8322...8667   16.0    3
   9685...9731   15.4    3

The praenova seems to have been only slightly variable, a noticeable ascend in
the time before the outburst being not observed.

                          [FIGURE 1]


Figure I, drawn according to plate O-771 of Palomar Sky Survey, shows the
surrounding of the nova and the comparison stars used. The determination of
the magnitudes was made by comparison with Mt.-Wilson-SA64. In figure II the
near surrounding of the probable praenova is given according to plate E-771.


1968, April 26
                                         L. MEINUNGER
                                     Sternwarte Sonneberg


[From the Index (Nos.201 - 300)]

Corrections:

No. 272, p.2, In last row of table read (15.4. instead of 15.4