COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
        INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                    NUMBER 323


                               Konkoly Observatory
                               Budapest
                               1969 January 9



                NOVA IN OPHIUCHUS


      On objective prism plates taken by N. Sanduleak at
Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory I have found a nova
in the following position (1900.0):

               alpha            delta

        17h36.2m +/- 0.2m    -24d58'+/-3'

The quoted uncertainties are estimated maximum values. The
position is about 10' from V 553 Ophiuchi, a nova which
reached maximum in 1940 (cf. Burwell and Swope, Pub. A. S. P.
53, 343, 1941).
      The following magnitudes have been derived from
the objective prism plates by calibrating image density
against a magnitude sequence defined by NGC 6494:

                           B     V

          July 7, 1967   11.9    -
           "  12,   "      -    11.0


The redness of the spectrum in the 5000 - 8800 A region is
sufficient to explain the B(July 7) - V(July 12) magnitude
difference as interstellar reddening, without appeal to
photometric variation during that time period.

      The Palomar prints are so crowded in the region of
this star that it is not possible to identify the pre-
outburst nova image on them, but the nova must have been
fainter than V ~ 18 at minimum. The visual spectrum is a
good match for a typical nova about 1 1/2 magnitudes below,
and following, maximum light, which therefore must have
been near V = 9.5, presumably some time during the first
half of 1967.


December 31, 1968         C.B. STEPHENSON
                     Warner and Swasey Observatory