COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
       INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                   Number 1376

                                 Konkoly Observatory
                                 Budapest
                                 1978 January 2


        AN APPARENT ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STAR IN SCORPIUS


   On objective-prism plates taken with the Curtis Schmidt
telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, we note
a 14th magnitude, strong emission-line star at alpha = 17h40m32.6s,
delta =-36d 02' 07" (1950), which appears to be previously unreported.
The Halpha emission was exceedingly strong relative to the continuum
in July 1967 and was still moderately strong in May 1968. On blue-
sensitive plates, covering the period from June 11 to Aug. 4, 1967,
the spectrum contained, in addition to the Balmer series, emission
lines of [OIII] at, lambda5007 (somewhat weaker than Hbeta) and at lambda4363
(about equal to Hgamma), and a broad emission band in the lambda4640-86 region.
The relative intensities, of these features did not vary significantly
over this two month interval. The hydrogen lines showed some
evidence of broadening but not as much as would been seen in a fast,
nova. Conceivably, this might be a slow nova. Because of the
crowded field, we are unable to positively identify the image of this
star on the Palomar Sky Survey chart and thus cannot estimate the
amplitude of the light variation. However, we have provided a chart
showing the position of this object.



                     N. SANDULEAK

                     C.B. STEPHENSON
            Warner and Swasey Observatory, E. Cleveland, OH., U.S.A.

                     D.J. MacCONNELL
            CIDA, Apartado 264, Merida, Venezuela


                       [FIGURE 1]