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                      NOVA HERCULIS, 1963

Position:


       Nova Herculis, 1963 was discovered independently by L.C. Peltier
of Delphos, Ohio, U.S.A. on February 5, and by K.A. Thernoe and Dahlgren
of Sweden on February 6.  At the time of discovery, the magnitude was
about 4.0.

       From earlier photographs taken of this area, it was discovered
that this nova was originally between magnitude 14 and 15.  Then, about
January 20, it started to incrase in brightness until it reached a
maximum of magnitude 3 about January 30.  Although it was so bright,
it was not discovered until February 5 -- about six days after estimated
maximum brightness:  The nova increased in brightness at least 11 mag-
nitudes or about 25,000 times in only ten days!  The nova decreaed in
brightness at the rapid rate of about 0.1 magnitude per day between
January 30 and February 23, when it then increased in brightness again
by about 0.25 magnitude in about four days.  The magnitude then fell
rapidly during the next two day, after which the decline became more
gradual.  By mid-April, the magnitude was declining by about 0.1 mag-
nitude every week or two.

       Here are the rounded figures for the brightness of the Nova:

Date        Mag.            Date        Mag.            Date        Mag.

Jan. 20    14.              Feb. 11    4.5              Mar.  5    5.7
     21    13.                   12    4.6                    6    5.7
     22    12.7                  13    4.7                    7    5.8
     23    11.6                  14    4.7                    8    5.9
     24    10.4                  15    4.8                    9    5.9
     25     9.1                  16    4.8                   10    6.0
     26     8.0                  17    4.9                   11    6.0
     27     6.5                  18    4.9                   12    6.1
     28     5.3                  19    5.0              Mar. 15    6.1
     29     4.0                  20    5.1                   20    6.3
     30     3.0                  21    5.1                   25    6.4
     31     3.1                  22    5.2                   30    6.4
Feb.  1     3.3                  23    5.2              Apr.  4    6.5
      2     3.4                  24    5.2                    9    6.6
      3     3.6                  25    5.1                   14    6.6
      4     3.8                  26    5.0                   19
      5     4.0                  27    4.9                   24
      6     4.0                  28    5.0                   29
      7     4.1             Mar.  1    5.4              May   4
      8     4.2                   2    5.5                    9
      9     4.3                   3    5.5                   14
     10     4.4                   4    5.6

       Until early February, the listed values could be in error by
a magnitude or more, as they are only estimates by interpolation
of the few figures obtained on pre-discovery photographs.  After
February 5, the values should be accurate to within 0.2 magnitudes.
This is based largely upon observations submitted by members of the
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

                                               (signed) Jim Low