COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
             INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                          Number 3411
                  
                                              Konkoly Observatory
                                              Budapest
                                              29 December 1989

                                              HU ISSN 0374 - 0676

      NOVA OPHIUCHI 1988 MONITORED 2.5 MONTHS AFTER OUTBURST

During the nights of June 21 and 22, 1988 (about 2.5 months after outburst)
12 spectrograms (resolution 4A) of Nova Ophiuchi 1988 (V 2214 Oph) were obtained
using the Boller & Chivens spectrograph and a CCD detector attached to the
1.52m telescope of the European Southern Observatory at La Silla / Chile. The
dominant lines in the recorded wavelength region are Balmer emissions (H-alpha to
H-gamma) and He I lambda5876. H-alpha is extremely strong and is blended with He I and
presumedly with N II and [N II] lines. Weaker emissions are mostly due to
Fe II but also N II and [N II] are present. All Balmer lines as well as He I
lambda5876 exhibit asymmetric profiles with a pronounced red peak whereas the
faint lines are more symmetric. The following values of heliocentric radial
velocity (uncertainty about 10 km/s), FWHM. FWZI (all in km/s) and equivalent
width (A) were derived for the prominent lines: H-alpha: -144, 1060, 15000:, 6500:;
H-beta: -71, 950, 3950, 510; H-gamma: -28, 985, 3525, 150; He I lambda=5876: -167, 1045, 2760,
90. The five strongest Fe II lines yield a radial velocity of -220+/-17km/s. The
results for He I lambda=6678 and [N II] lambda=5755 are -247 km/s and -294 km/s 
respectively. The absorption feature at the blue side of He I lambda=5876 has a velocity
of -1840km/s.


                             [FIGURE 1]

Fig 1. Average spectrum of Nova Ophiuchi 1988 based on observations obtained on
June 21 and 22, 1988. It has been truncated to show the weak emission lines.

A few photoelectric measurements obtained on June 23.029 UT using the single-
channel standard photometer at the ESO 50cm telescope gave V=10.915, U-B=
-0.335, B-V=+0.664, V-R=+1.822, V-I=+1.115 (uncertainty 0.045mag in V-I,
otherwise less than 0.02 mag).
This note may complement spectroscopic and photometric measurements performed 
by Jablonski et al. (1988) about one week prior to these observations.



                            R. HAEFNER
                            Universitats-Sternwarte
                            Scheinerstr. 1
                            D-8000 Munchen 80
                            Fed. Rep. of Germany


Reference:
Jablonski, F.J., Kirhakos, S.D., Diaz, M.P., Baptista, R.: IAU Circular No. 4619,1988 [BIBCODE 1988IAUC.4619....2J ]