COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
        INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                    Number 1327

                                   Konkoly Observatory
                                   Budapest
                                   1977 August 16



        SPECTROSCOPY OF HM SAGITTAE, A POSSIBLE
             EMBRYONIC PLANETARY NEBULA




   The sudden six magnitude outburst of the emission-line object 
now known as HM Sagittae was reported by Dokuchaeva (1976).
Subsequent spectroscopic observations by Stover and Sivertsen
(1977) showed HM Sge to have strong emission lines of H, He I,
He II, [OI], [OIII], and [AIII]; in general the spectrum resembled 
that of a planetary nebula. Feldman (1977) has reported a
radio detection of this object at 10.5 GHz. In the infrared,
the color temperature is 950 K, and moderate silicate emission
is seen (Merrill 1977).
   On 22 June 1977 UT we obtained three image-tube spectrograms
of HM Sge at Ritter Observatory. The 1-m reflector and Cassegrain
spectrograph were used with a Varo 8605 image-tube, yielding a
dispersion 40 Angstrom/mm over the wavelength interval lambdalambda5800-7500.
The spectra were recorded on hydrogen-treated 127-04 emulsion,
and the resolution was ~1 Angstrom. At the time of exposure the 
estimated brightness of HM Sge was V~11.
   The table below lists the observed emission features and a
visual estimate of their intesities.

lambda obs     Identification    Intensity
5876.7         He I     5875.8      20
6300.7         [OI]     6300.2       5
6312.5         [SIII]   6312.1       7
6548.4         [NII]    6548.1       7
6563.3         Halpha   6562.8     300
6583.6         [NII]    6583.6      15
6678.1         He I     6678.1      10
7065.2         He I     7065.2      25


         Table    (cont.)
lambda obs     Identification     Intensity
7134.0        [AIII]    7135.8       20
7279.0        He I      7281.3        2
7316.9        [OII]     7319.0       25
7327.1        [OII]     7330.3       20


    The measured radial velocity from half a dozen lines is
+25+-3 km/s. Because of distortions in the image-tube, the 
wavelengths longward of lambda7100 have low accuracy and were not 
included in the velocity determination. To record the faint emission
lines, two of the spectrograms have Halpha heavily exposed.The third
exposure was widened with optimal exposure of the Halpha emission.
On this latter spectrogram, no evidence for structure or profile
asymmetry in Halpha is seen. The continuum is surprisingly strong
on our plates; an apparent weakening of the continuum near lambda6200.
may be due to TiO, but further spectrograms will be required to
confirm this.
    This research was partially supported by a grant from Research 
Corporation.




                                   BERNARD W. BOPP

                                   Ritter Observatory
                                   The Univ. of Toledo
                                   Toledo, OH 43606
                                   U.S.A.





References:
Dokuchaeva, O.D. 1976, I.B.V.S. No. 1189
Feldman, P.A. 1977, I.A.U. Circular No. 3081 [BIBCODE 1977IAUC.3081....2F ]
Merrill, K.M. 1977, I.A.U. Circular No. 3088 [BIBCODE 1977IAUC.3088....5B ]
Stover, R.J., and Sivertsen, S. 1977, Ap.J.(Letters) 214, L33 [BIBCODE 1977ApJ...214L..33S ]