23 replies to this topic

[SNH]

I just got back in from getting my first look at V462 Lupi and I'd place it at magnitude 5.6 in binoculars...which was about half a magnitude fainter than my naked-eye limit for tonight at that altitude. It lies at (J2000) RA 15h 08m 03.3s, Dec. –40° 08″ 29.6′.

 

For more info, check out Bob King's article on Sky & Telescope.org.

 

Good luck and easy hunting for this one!

Scott H.

[rjacks]

Observing from SQM 20.2 at 34 degrees north under good transparency 2 hours after sunset on June 19, this nova was an easy naked eye object for me. I have no experience estimating star magnitudes, but this nova was naked-eye obvious.

 

For me, the AAVSO website was not recognizing V462 Lupi this morning, so I can't find a light curve for this nova.  

[herschelobjects]

Enjoy. From my latitude, this object is right on the horizon.

[rjacks]

Enjoy. From my latitude, this object is right on the horizon.

Yeah, and my field has a spot without tall trees directly to the south, so that helps with catching the low southern objects. 

[adlibitum]

Observing from SQM 20.2 at 34 degrees north under good transparency 2 hours after sunset on June 19, this nova was an easy naked eye object for me. I have no experience estimating star magnitudes, but this nova was naked-eye obvious.

 

For me, the AAVSO website was not recognizing V462 Lupi this morning, so I can't find a light curve for this nova.  

also not currently able to access recent observations for V462 Lupi on aavso site, although I could a few days ago.

[SNH]

"naked-eye obvious". Wow! That's what I want to see it as.

V462 Lupi doesn't work at the moment like you said, but 'N Lup 2025' does.

Scott H.

[Epick Crom]

Thanks for starting a thread about this nova Scott.

 

I've been wanting to observe nova Lupi since it's discovery but have been hampered so far by constant clouds and rain.

 

Clear Skies 

Joe

[12BH7]

I will try for it tomorrow.  Thanks.

[KidOrion]

IT’S NEVER LUPUS

[adlibitum]

"naked-eye obvious". Wow! That's what I want to see it as.

V462 Lupi doesn't work at the moment like you said, but 'N Lup 2025' does.

Scott H.

thanks, for me neither link to recent observations but both link to a light curve, which has observations as data points so still a way to access the info

Edited by adlibitum, 21 June 2025 - 01:19 AM.

[Dean Norris]

Thanks SNH for the link to S+T article on the nova. The charts from Bob King's write up enabled me to find the nova tonight in 7x50 binoculars. 

 

Estimated magnitude at 5.6 using HR Lupi as a comp star at 6:00 UT 7/21.

 

Clear skies,

 

Dean

[adlibitum]

Observed V462 Lupi UTC 6/22/25 05:30 from Mill Valley, CA using 7x50 binoculars. To my eye it was a tick dimmer than mag 5.8 HR 5624 which is about 20' to the south. So my estimate is about 5.9.

 

Updated link in S&T article to aavso, https://apps.aavso.o...rch/photometry/, enter V462 in Target box for latest results

Edited by adlibitum, 22 June 2025 - 08:21 PM.

[Dean Norris]

Estimated magnitude of the nova at 5.8 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:50 UT 7/22 with 7x50 binoculars.

 

Clear skies,

 

Dean

[Dean Norris]

Was out again last night and found the nova had dimmed since the previous observation on the 22nd. The transparency was being below average with approaching fog and the usual light pollution in that part of the sky, but was happy I could still see it. Looks like a trend of dimming is occurring but I suppose it's still possible that could change.

 

Estimated magnitude of the nova at 6.0 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:40 UT 7/23 with 7x50 binoculars.

 

Clear skies,

 

Dean

[Redbetter]

 

Updated link in S&T article to aavso, https://apps.aavso.o...rch/photometry/, enter V462 in Target box for latest results

 

That won't work.  AAVSO is VERY picky about the designation.  "V462 LUP" works, at least at present.  V462, V462LUP, V0462 Lup, and a wide host of other names this is known by do not work.  This is a bit odd because AAVSO actually records the data as "V0462 Lup" and has links based on that designation.  Perhaps this difference is why the light curve generator doesn't work for it at present?   

 

Finding and getting stuff to work on the AAVSO site can be Byzantine.

[Epick Crom]

I finally had a chance to observe Nova Lupi last night immediately after getting home from work last night. 

 

I estimated it to be around magnitude 5.7 by comparing it to nearby HR Lupi (which is a very slight variable). I was using my 10x50mm binoculars.  Happy to see such a bright nova!

 

Clear Skies 

Joe

[PlanetNamek]

IT’S NEVER LUPUS

**** I miss that show.

[Dean Norris]

Observed the nova through my 15" with 30mm eyepiece at 61x at a dark site.

 

Estimated magnitude, 6.0 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:12 UT 7/26/2025 .

 

Clear skies,

 

Dean

[havasman]

A couple of us easily observed N Lupus 2025 Monday night from the club dark site @ 34.2N. Randall's SW 180 Mac put up the best image of the easy observation.

 

We both thought that during the minutes we observed it we saw more satellites cross the field than we'd ever seen in one observation's field. They were thick, often with 2 or more in the FOV simultaneously.

[Redbetter]

I observed it from 37.0 N on June 24, 25, and 26th local, all between 9:30 and 10 PM. 

• The first night the seeing was poor/heavily disturbed down low, and there was more humidity/diffuse haze which increased extinction at only about 13 degrees elevation.  I used 10x50 binoculars to estimate the nova as two steps dimmer than the 5.8 just south of it on the AAVSO chart.  It appeared 1 step brighter than the 6.0 to the N.  Resultant Argelander magnitude was 5.9.  Note that naked eye, I could detect the 6.0 better than either the nova or 5.8, but this had more to do with the empty sky around the 6.0, the other 5th mag star to the SW of the 5.8, as well as the brightening gradient (and extinction) of the southern horizon.
• The second night there was a lot going on (injured backpacker search that evening) and my eye wasn't dialed into to estimating magnitudes so I skipped that with binocs after an initial look.  However, the sky was sharper to the south, and by the end of astronomical twilight I realized that naked eye I could see the 6.0 to the north, plus the pairing of the nova and the 5.8 to the south.  I would just catch either one of the pair at times as stellar, mostly the one to the south, while otherwise primarily seeing them as a threshold glow.stretched N/S with a ~5.2 SW of that.
• The third night I had even better conditions, and the difference between the 5.8 and nova was about 2.5 steps.  I could not see a clear difference in the 6 and the nova, but if anything it might have been half a step brighter than the 6.0.  It would be more reasonable to call it equal to the 6.0, even though that is frowned upon. At any rate, a half step difference results in 6.0 so it makes no difference.

[Redbetter]

A couple of us easily observed N Lupus 2025 Monday night from the club dark site @ 34.2N. Randall's SW 180 Mac put up the best image of the easy observation.

 

We both thought that during the minutes we observed it we saw more satellites cross the field than we'd ever seen in one observation's field. They were thick, often with 2 or more in the FOV simultaneously.

 

So many satellites across the sky anymore.  I look up at constellations naked eye and go, "hey, that doesn't look right" then realize part of the pattern is moving.  I was seeing this with the nova as well.  And I have had satellites on completely different orbital paths/directions cross one another in the eyepiece at 278x and above this month.

 

I did have a meteor shoot through the center of a galaxy last night and leave a trail while viewing in the 20", so that was cool.  

[Special Ed]

I got my first look at the nova last Tuesday, June 24th, with my image stabilized 12x36 binoculars.  Transparency was not great and the nova was down in the soup at 10 degrees altitude for me, but it was still an easy find.  I had the AAVSO chart and the fact that it is near the triangle of delta and beta Lup and kappa Cen and even closer to another even smaller nearby triangle of stars made it easy to confirm.  Using the star in the point of the smaller triangle (HR Lupi) for comparison, I estimated V 462's magnitude at 6.0.

 

I wanted to try to image the nova with my Seestar but didn't get the opportunity until last night (the 2nd).  While the Seestar was doing its thing, I used my binoculars to take a look at it.  It was still easy to see with the 12x36's despite the first quarter Moon.  It appears to have dimmed slightly--I would put it at 6.2 or 6.3 now.

 

 

[Dean Norris]

Here is a list of my observations of the nova using 7x50 binoculars on all the dates except one on 6/26/2025 which was done using a 15” Dob at 131x. I wanted to  correct the dates on previous posts I’ve made. I realized I had written the wrong month on the earlier posts.

 

5.6 using HR Lupi as a comp star at 6:00 UT 6/21/2025
5.8 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:50 UT 6/22/2025
6.0 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:40 UT 6/23/2025
6.0 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:12 UT 6/26/2025
6.0 using HR Lupi as a comp star on 5:00 UT 7/4/2025

 

Clear Skies,

 

Dean

Edited by Dean Norris, 05 July 2025 - 12:35 AM.

[Universe XY]

I've tried but my sky is really bright & it's at max 15 deg so barely over the next house & then quickly darts behind the evil cypress.

 

I'm just trying to find Delta Lupi as V462 Lup was supposed to be to the right of that.

Trying to start at Antares & find the triangle of Lupis which is still hard to see.

 

My eyes are poor & the sky is 8 or 9 Bortle.