KT Eridani
KT Eridani (Nova Eridani 2009) was a bright nova in the constellation Eridanus that produced an outburst in 2009. It was the first classical nova ever detected in that constellation.[5] The nova was discovered at 12:52 UT on 25 November 2009 by K. Itagaki at Yamagata, Japan with a 21 cm patrol telescope. At the time of its discovery, it was a magnitude 8.1 object.[6] The discovery occurred after the nova's peak brightness, but the All Sky Automated Survey system had detected the nova on three earlier occasions, allowing a more complete light curve to be produced. The peak magnitude, 5.4, was seen at 15:10 UT on 14 November 2009.[4]
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Eridanus |
Right ascension | 04h 47m 54.2015s[1] |
Declination | −10° 10′ 42.9633″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.4 Max. 15.0 Min.[2] |
Characteristics | |
Variable type | Classical Nova[2] |
Astrometry | |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 6.469±0.053[1] mas/yr Dec.: −11.009±0.052[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 0.2044 ± 0.0384[1] mas |
Distance | 3744+591 −328[2] pc |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
![](../I/KTEriLightCurve.png.webp)
A very high temporal resolution light curve, beginning on 13 November 2009, was obtained from images taken by the Solar Mass Ejection Imager on the Coriolis satellite. These observations show that the peak brightness, magnitude 5.42±0.02, occurred at November 14.67±0.04 UT. The satellite was able to detect the nova until November 27.23±0.04, by which time it had dropped to magnitude 8.3±0.1. It is classified as a very fast nova, meaning it dimmed rapidly after peak brightness.[7]
On 28 December 2009 (44 days after peak brightness) it was detected as a 0.21 milliJansky source at 5 GHz by the Very Large Array. In the following weeks its radio brightness increased and it was detected in additional radio bands.[8] On the other end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the Swift satellite was used to look for X-ray emission from KT Eridani starting on 27 November 2009, and the satellite detected it on 24 December 2009.[9]
![](../I/KTEriLocation.png.webp)
In the most common nova systems, the white dwarf accretes matter from a main sequence star. However, KT Eri is thought to have a red giant "donor" star transferring material to a white dwarf.[10] While novae systems with a main sequence donor star typically have orbital periods of a few hours, the orbital period of KT Eri may be as long as 737 days.[11]
References
- Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616. A1. arXiv:1804.09365. Bibcode:2018A&A...616A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833051. Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR.
- Schaefer, Bradley E. (2018). "The distances to Novae as seen by Gaia". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 481 (3): 3033–3051. arXiv:1809.00180. Bibcode:2018MNRAS.481.3033S. doi:10.1093/mnras/sty2388. S2CID 118925493.
- "KT Eridani". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- Raj, Ashish; Banerjee, D.P.K.; Ashok, N.M. (August 2013). "Nova KT Eri 2009: Infrared studies of a very fast andsmall amplitude He/N nova". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 433 (2657–2666). doi:10.1093/mnras/stt946. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- Imamura, Kazuyoshi; Tanabe, Kenji (January 2012). "High galactic latitude classical nova KT Eridani: spectroscopic and photometric observational report ". Mem. S.A.It. 83: 820–824. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- "Possible Nova in Eridanis". Central Bureau Electronic Telegram. 2050: 1. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- Hounsell, R.; Bode, M.F.; Hick, P.P.; Buffington, A.; Jackson, B.V.; Clover, J.M.; Shafter, A.W.; Darnley, M.J.; Mawson, N.R.; Steele, I.A.; Evans, A.; Eyres, S.P.S.; O'Brien, T.J. (November 2010). "Exquisite Nova Light Curves from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI". The Astrophysical Journal. 724 (1): 480–486. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/724/1/480. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- O'Brien, T.J.; Muxlow, T.W.B.; Stevens, J.; Datta, A.; Roy, N.; Eyres, S.P.S.; Bode, M.F. (11 February 2010). "Radio detections of KT Eri". The Astronomer's Telegram. 2434: 1. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- Bode, M.F.; Osborne, J.P.; Page, K.L.; Beardmore, A.P.; Walter, F.M.; Ness, J.U.; Schwarz, G.; Starrfield, S.; Kuulkers, E.; O'Brien, T.J.; Balman, S.; Darnley, M.J.; Evans, A.; Evans, P.; Eyres, S.P.S.; Krautter, J. (January 2010). "Emergence of a Bright and Highly Variable Super-soft Source Phase in Nova KT Eri (2009)". The Astronomer's Telegram. 2392: 1. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- Jurdana-Šepić, R.; Ribeiro, V. A. R. M.; Darnley, M. J.; Munari, U.; Bode, M. F. (January 2012). "Historical light curve and search for previous outbursts of Nova KT Eridani (2009)". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 537: A34. arXiv:1110.4637. Bibcode:2012A&A...537A..34J. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117806. S2CID 55462218.
- Ribeiro, V.A.R.M.; Bode, M.F.; Darnley, M.J.; Barnsley, R.M.; Munari, U.; Harman, D.J. (8 June 2013). "Morpho-kinematical modelling of Nova Eridani 2009 (KT Eri)". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 433 (3): 1991–1996. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt856. Retrieved 9 December 2020.