THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 152 1988 May 10 19.37UT. Telecom Gold 72:MAG60138 Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16, Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. Telephone:(0256)471074.Int:+44256471074 Telex:265871(MONREF G) Quote"72:MAG60138 ATT G.HURST"in FIRST line. ------------------------------------------------------------------- X-RAY NOVA J.Danielsson and H.Bengtsson, Sweden, e-mail the following report relating to the field of the X-Ray Nova (cf E-150): "Stig Ingvarsson reports by phone that he measured SAO 088151 photoelectrically on the night of 1988 May 8/9 from his observatory on Tjorn Island, north of Gothenburg. He found this star to be 3.07 magnitudes fainter than 16 Vul in V, which would imply V=8.29, assuming for 16 Vul V=5.22 (as per Sky Catalogue 2000). Due to computer problems, the measurement has not yet been fully reduced, but is believed to be +/- 0.03 mags". CH UMA In response to the note on E-151, P.Schmeer, West Germany e-mails the following observations by Stefan Korth: May 6.955UT, 13.0; 7.053UT, 13.4. NOVA OPHIUCHI 1988 Further estimates: 1988 May 1.47UT, 10.1 (D.Seargent); 3.48, 9.4 (Seargent); 4.62, 9.6: (R.McNaught); 5.46, 9.8 (Seargent); 5.83, 9.7 (McNaught); May 7.04UT, 9.3 (P.Schmeer) TAV 0226+39 Mark Kidger advises us that they are still having difficulties in recovering the spectrum from the VAX computer but in the meantime application has been made for the use of the INT in late May in the hope of securing a further spectroscopic result. They urgently need guidance on the magnitude of the object between now and the end of the month to assist with planning. Please make every effort to observe or photograph this object in the morning sky in the coming weeks and e-mail results immediately. The AAVSO have named the object 'Nova Andromedae 1988' although this is not official as far as the IAU is concerned. The designation number is 022339. C.Scovil, USA, reports that he has examined the original plate relating to chart 372 of the Papadopoulos Atlas and confirms no image appears in the position of the object and that the atlas image is a flaw as earlier proposed by Hurst. Guy M Hurst