CK Vulpeculae

CK Vulpeculae
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Vulpecula
Right ascension 19h 47m 38.0s [1]
Declination +27° 18′ 48″ [1]
Apparent magnitude (V) ~2.4 to ~6
while active
Characteristics
Spectral type ea
B−V color index 0.7
Variable type Recurrent nova
Astrometry
Distance1800 ly
Absolute magnitude (MV)~+10.4
Other designations
CK Vulpeculae, CK Vul, Nova Vulpeculae 1670, Nova Vul 1670

CK Vulpeculae (also Nova Vulpeculae 1670) may be the oldest cataloged nova variable.[2] It consists of a central dim object with gas flowing out (~ 210 kilometres per second) into a bi-polar nebulous blob.[3] It is either inside of a cloud of cold (~ 15 Kelvin degrees) dust or the cloud is in front of it from the Earth's perspective. Molecular gas in the vicinity is rich in Nitrogen relative to Oxygen.[4] Models suggest CK Vulpeculae may not be a classic nova; rather it may be classified as a Luminous red nova which is the result of two main sequence stars colliding and merging.[4]

Eruptive history

CK Vulpeculae was discovered by Voituret Anthelme in 1670. It had a brightness maximum of approximately 3 magnitude on June 20, 1670 after which it faded. A second maxima was observed March 1671, after which Johannes Hevelius and Giovanni Cassini observed it throughout spring and summer until it faded from naked-eye view in late August 1671. A last weakly visible brightness maxima of approximately 5.5 to 6 magnitude was observed by Hevelius in March 1672 and finally faded from view late May. Observers from 1670 to 1672 noted the nova had a reddish colour. CK Vulpeculae was not detectable for centuries until recovered in 1981.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "NOVA Vul 1670 -- Nova". SIMBAD. Retrieved 2015-03-29.
  2. ↑ Shara, M.M.; Moffat, A.F.J.; Webbink, R.F. (July 1, 1985). "Unraveling the oldest and faintest recovered nova - CK Vulpeculae (1670)". Astrophysical Journal. 294: 271–285. Bibcode:1985ApJ...294..271S. doi:10.1086/163296.
  3. ↑ Hajduk, M.; van Hoof, P.A.M.; Zijlstra, A.A. (December 23, 2013). "CK Vul: evolving nebula and three curious background stars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 432 (1): 167–175. arXiv:1312.5846Freely accessible. Bibcode:2013MNRAS.432..167H. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt426.
  4. 1 2 Kaminski, Tomasz; Menten, Karl M.; Tylenda, Romuald; Hajduk, Marcin; Patel, Nimesh A.; Kraus, Alexander (March 23, 2015). "Nuclear ashes and outflow in the eruptive star Nova Vul 1670". Nature. 520: 322–4. arXiv:1503.06570Freely accessible. Bibcode:2015Natur.520..322K. doi:10.1038/nature14257. PMID 25799986.
  5. ↑ Shara, M.M.; Moffat, A.F.J. (July 1, 1982). "The recovery of CK Vulpeculae Nova 1670—the oldest 'old nova'". Astronomical Journal. 258 (Part 2 Letters to the Editor): L41–L44. Bibcode:1982ApJ...258L..41S. doi:10.1086/183826.
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