This transient has been discovered by Andrew Pearce at 8.4 mag (unfiltered) on 2021-04-04.825 UT using a Canon 1100D DSLR camera with a 100mm f/2.8 lens. Total exposure time was 20 seconds (2 x 10s images stacked). Rob McNaught reported non-detection on 2021-04-02.776 UT (unfiltered limiting mag 11.0).
On images taken on April 06.40, 2021 we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with B-filtered CCD magnitude +8.955 (R-filtered & V-filtered images were saturated in 5-second exposures) at coordinates:
R.A. = 17 58 16.08, Decl.= -29 14 56.4
(equinox 2000.0; Gaia DR2 catalogue reference stars for the astrometry).
Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version):
© Remanzacco Blogspot
An animation showing a comparison between my image and the archive POSS1 plate (1996-09-12). Made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott. Click on it for a bigger version.
According to ATel #14513, K. Taguchi et al. obtained a spectrum of this transient on 2021-04-05.828 UT using the fiber-fed integral field spectrograph mounted on the 3.8-m Seimei telescope at Okayama Observatory of Kyoto University. Their spectrum shows Balmer lines, Fe II lines, and the Na I D line. According to their spectrum and the brightness, they conclude that this object is a classical nova (with a spectrum similar to those of the slow nova V1280 Sco in the early stage).
This nova has been designated N Sgr 2021 No. 2 (with permanent GCVS designation V6595 Sgr).
© StellariumNew Nova Sgr No. 2 is located just 1.75ยฐ northwest of 3rd-magnitude Gamma (ฮณ) Sagittarii above the Teapot's spout. Click here for a detailed AAVSO finder chart.
What makes 'the sun stand still'? when the Earth flips over. The Sun then appears to set in the same direction in which it rose!
Sound familiar? It has happened before.
30 years..... the ramp up will be obvious for those who understand what I have just written.