List of novae in the Milky Way galaxy

This is a partial list of novae in the Milky Way galaxy that have been discovered and recorded since 1891. Novae are stars that undergo dramatic explosions, but unlike supernovae, these do not result in the destruction of the original star. The likely rate of novae in the Milky Way is about 40 per year,^[1] but of these only about 10 per year are discovered by observers as of the 2000s (decade).^[2] This list attempts to include only the brighter or more notable novae.

The Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) maintains a more complete list of novae in the Milky Way since 1612.^[2]

For a list of novae in individual years, see instead: novae in 2018, novae in 2019.

Nomenclature

Novae are initially designated via a "Nova [genitive form of constellation name] [year of discovery]" format, e.g. "Nova Cygni 1974" and "Nova Scorpii 2010". An official permanent name is usually soon assigned by the General Catalog of Variable Stars using the GCVS format for the naming of variable stars. When more than one nova is discovered in a constellation in one year, a numeric suffix is appended; hence "Nova Sagittarii 2011 #2", "Nova Sagitarii 2011 #3", etc.

Nova Eridani 2009 (apparent magnitude ~8.4) during a full moon

Year	Nova	Maximum brightness[note 1]
1612	04550 Leonis	+4.0
1670	CK Vulpeculae	+2.6
1673	03846 Puppis	+3.0
1678	V529 Orionis	+6
1783	WY Sagittae	+5.4
1848	V841 Ophiuchi	+2.0
1853	00856 Trianguli	+9.5
1853	SZ Persei	+9.5
1854	SU Arietis	+9.5
1854	U Leonis	+10.5
1860	T Bootis	+9.7
1860	T Scorpii	+7.0
1862	V728 Scorpii	+5.0
1863	U Scorpii	+8.8
1866	T Coronae Borealis	+2.0
1876	Q Cygni	+3.0
1877	AB Boötis	+4.5
1887	V Persei	+4.0
1891	T Aurigae	+3.8
1898	V1059 Sagittarii	+4.5
1899	V606 Aquilae	+5.5
1901	GK Persei	+0.2
1903	DM Geminorum	+4.8
1905	V604 Aquilae	+7.3
1910	OY Arae	+6.0
1910	DI Lacertae	+4.6
1912	DN Geminorum	+3.5
1918	V603 Aquilae	-0.5
1918	GI Monocerotis	+5.6
1919	HR Lyrae	+6.5
1919	V849 Ophiuchi	+7.4
1920	V476 Cygni	+2.0
1920	T Pyxidis	+6.4
1925	RR Pictoris	+1.2[3]
1927	EL Aquilae	+5.5
1927	XX Tauri	+5.9
1933	RS Ophiuchi	+4.3
1934	DQ Herculis	+1.4
1936	CP Lacertae	+2.1
1936	V368 Aquilae	+5.0
1936	V630 Sagittarii	+4.0
1939	BT Monocerotis	+4.5
1942	V450 Cygni	+7.0
1942	CP Puppis	+0.3
1943	V500 Aquilae	+6.1
1944	T Pyxidis	+7.1
1945	V528 Aquilae	+7.0
1946	T Coronae Borealis	+3.0
1948	CT Serpentis	+6.0
1948	V465 Cygni	+7.3
1950	DK Lacertae	+5.0
1956	RW Ursae Minoris	+6.0[4]
1958	RS Ophiuchi	+5.0
1960	V446 Herculis	+2.8
1963	V533 Herculis	+3.0
1964	QZ Aurigae	+6.0
1967	T Pyxidis	+6.7
1967	HR Delphini	+3.7
1967	RS Ophiuchi	+5.0
1968	LV Vulpeculae	+5.2
1970	FH Serpentis	+4.4
1970	V1229 Aquilae	+6.7
1970	V1330 Cygni	+7.5
1971	IV Cephei	+7.0
1975	V1500 Cygni	+1.7
1975	V373 Scuti	+6.0
1976	NQ Vulpeculae	+6.0
1977	HS Sagittae	+7.2
1978	V1668 Cygni	+6.0
1982	V1370 Aquilae	+6.0
1984	PW Vulpeculae	+6.4
1984	QU Vulpeculae	+5.2
1985	RS Ophiuchi	+5.4
1986	V842 Centauri	+4.6
1986	OS Andromedae	+6.3
1987	V827 Herculis	+7.5
1987	QV Vulpeculae	+7.0
1991	V838 Herculis	+5.0
1992	V1974 Cygni	+4.2
1993	V705 Cassiopeiae	+5.8
1999	V382 Velorum	+2.6
1999	V1494 Aquilae	+4.0
2000	V445 Puppis	+8.6
2002	V4743 Sagittarii	+5.0[5]
2006	RS Ophiuchi	+4.5
2007	V1280 Scorpii	+3.9[6][7]
2009	KT Eridani	+5.5
2013	V339 Delphini	+4.3[8]
2013	V1369 Centauri	+3.3[9]
2015	V5668 Sagittarii	+4.0[10][11]
2016	V407 Lupi	+5.6[12]
2016	V5856 Sagittarii	+5.5[13]
2018	FM Circini	+5.8[14]
2018	V906 Carinae	+5.9[15]
2018	V392 Persei	+6.2[16]
2020	YZ Reticuli	+3.7[17][18]
2021	RS Ophiuchi	+4.6[19]
2021	V1674 Her	+6.0[20]
2021	V1405 Cas	+5.4[21]
2022	V415 Muscae	+8.7[22]

See also

• List of supernovae
• Variable star

Notes

1. A higher magnitude means a lower brightness. i.e. T Aurigae (+3.8) was a brighter nova than HR Lyrae (+6.5)

References

1. Prialnik, Dina. "Novae", pp. 1846-56, in Paul Murdin, ed. Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics. London: Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd and Nature Publishing Group, 2001. ISBN 1-56159-268-4
2. CBAT List of Novae in the Milky Way discovered since 1612
3. Burnham, Robert (2013) [1977]. Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Volume Three: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System. New York, New York: Courier Dover Publications. pp. 1460–62. ISBN 978-0-486-31803-5.
4. Bianchini, A.; Tappert, C.; Canterna, R.; Tamburini, F.; Osborne, H.; Cantrell, K. (2003). "RW Ursae Minoris (1956): An Evolving Postnova System". The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 115 (809): 811–18. Bibcode:2003PASP..115..811B. doi:10.1086/376434. S2CID 123571502.
5. "VSX : Detail for V4743 Sgr". www.aavso.org.
6. "Alert Notice 346: 1651-32 V1280 Sco = Nova Scorpii 2007 | aavso".
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2010-03-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. "Light Curve Generator: AAVSO Data for Nova DEL 2013". American Association of Variable Star Observers. August 16, 2013. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
9. IAU Circ., 9266, 2 (2013). Edited by Green, D. W. E.
10. CBET 4080 (March 20, 2015)
11. Alan MacRobert Nova Sagittarii: What a Long, Strange Fade It’s Been Sky and Telescope April 29, 2015
12. "VSX : Detail for V0407 Lup". www.aavso.org.
13. "VSX : Detail for V5856 Sgr". www.aavso.org.
14. "The International Variable Star Index". aavso.org. AAVSO. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
15. "Alert Notice 626: Bright nova in Carina - ASASSN-18fv | aavso.org". www.aavso.org.
16. Scagell, Robin (April 30, 2018). "Nova in Perseus".
17. "Alert Notice 711: Nova in Reticulum: MGAB-V207 = N Ret 2020 | aavso.org". www.aavso.org.
18. "VSX : Detail for N Ret 2020". www.aavso.org.
19. "Alert Notice 752: Rare Outburst of Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi". www.aavso.org.
20. Drake, Jeremy J.; Ness, Jan-Uwe; Page, Kim L.; Luna, G. J. M.; Beardmore, Andrew P.; Orio, Marina; Osborne, Julian P.; Mróz, Przemek; Starrfield, Sumner; Banerjee, Dipankar P. K.; Balman, Solen; Darnley, M. J.; Bhargava, Y.; Dewangan, G. C.; Singh, K. P. (December 2021). "The Remarkable Spin-down and Ultrafast Outflows of the Highly Pulsed Supersoft Source of Nova Herculis 2021". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 922 (2): L42. arXiv:2110.14058. Bibcode:2021ApJ...922L..42D. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac34fd. S2CID 239998563.
21. Munari, U.; Valisa, P.; Dallaporta, S.; Maitan, A. (December 2021). "High ionization conditions finally emerge as Nova Cas 2021 (V1405 Cas) ends the plateau and embraces a steady decline". The Astronomer's Telegram. 15093: 1. Bibcode:2021ATel15093....1M. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
22. "V0415 Mus". The International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. Retrieved 16 July 2022.

External links

• CBAT List of Novae in the Milky Way