Letter to the Editor

The early stages of NOVA Oph 2003 (V2573 Oph)^*

Institut für Astrophysik der Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Corresponding author: S. Kimeswenger, stefan.kimeswenger@uibk.ac.at

Received: 4 August 2003
Accepted: 12 September 2003

Abstract

Intermediate resolution spectroscopy of NOVA Oph 2003 (V2573 Oph), which was first detected March 21th 2003 but reported July 19th 2003, obtained 19th to 23rd of July is presented here. The photometry during the early phases of the object is shortly discussed. We also retrieved very accurate astrometry of the target in this crowded field. This is needed to be able to do further observations of the post-nova during the next years. The inspection of the sky survey plates gives a possible progenitor candidate and allows to derive a lower limit for the outburst magnitude of about 100. The spectrum shows an overall expansion of 2200 km s^-1 and has clearly complex outflow substructures. The spectroscopy identifies this object as classical nova, “Fe II” subclass.