COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
          INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                       Number 947

                                      Konkoly Observatory
                                      Budapest
                                      1974 November 30


      PREDISCOVERY OBSERVATIONS OF NOVA PERSEI 1974

On Sonneberg Sky Patrol plates, taken by H. Huth, the following 
observations were obtained:

                 Date             J.D.        mpg
            1974 Aug. 16/17    244 2276.6    12.7
                 Sep. 11/12        2302.5     8.9
                 Sep. 20/21        2311.5     9.2
                 Nov.  6/7         2358.4    11.0

If the reddish star of mpg ~ 12.7 which lies close to the nova's 
position is the prenova, which is not at all certain or even probable, 
then the magnitudes given above can be taken unchanged for the
nova. Otherwise the brightness of that star has to be taken into
account. In this case the nova must be called "invisible fainter
13m" on Aug. 16/17. A detailed study of the light curve of the 
prenova when identified might be possible on numerous astrographic 
plates of the Sonneberg field alpha Persei and will be published in 
Mitteilungen uber Veranderliche Sterne.



                                      W. WENZEL
                               Sonneberg Observatory of
                        Central Institute for Astrophysics of
                           Academy of Sciences of the GDR.