Rapid analysis of ROTSE-III sky patrol fields has revealed an interesting transient which we designate ROTSE3 J16134.4+012124.4. This object is absent in images taken until 12 April 2005, and is present in images from ROTSE-IIIb from 13 April 2005. It is currently around 18.0 magnitude at 15:00 UT on 13 April.
The object is in a small region not covered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, so we do not have quiescent colors. However, it is marginally detected in quiescence in one of the USNO plate scans, and is measured at R=20.4 magnitude in the USNO-B1.0 catalog.
A spectrum (430-890 nm) obtained on Apr. 14.33 with the 9.2m Hobby*Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by J. Caldwell and E. Terrazas shows a blue continuum with prominent H-alpha and H-beta emission. The spectrum has been flux calibrated.
The position of the object is (J2000):
RA: 243.26820 | DEC: 1.35677 |
L: 13.654527 | B: 35.298278 |