GK Persei

GK Persei

GK Persei: Nova of 1901.
Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Perseus
Right ascension	03h 27m 47.4s [1]
Declination	+43° 44′ 05″ [1]
Characteristics
Astrometry
Distance	1500 ly (459.9 pc)
Other designations

GK Persei (also Nova Persei 1901) was a bright nova occurring in 1901. It reached a maximum magnitude of 0.2, the brightest nova of modern times until Nova Aquilae 1918. Unlike Nova Aquilae 1918, after fading into obscurity at about magnitude 12 to 13 during the early 20th century, GK Persei began displaying infrequent outbursts of 2 to 3 magnitudes (about 7 to 15 times quiescent brightness). Since about 1980, these outbursts have become quite regular, typically lasting about two months and occurring about every three years. Thus, GK Persei has seemed to change from a classical nova like Nova Aquilae 1918, to more recently resemble a typical dwarf nova-type cataclysmic variable star.

Surrounding GK Persei is the Firework nebula, a nova remnant first detected in 1902 consisting of an expanding cloud of gas and dust bubbles moving up to 1200 km/s.^[1]

Nova Persei 1901 was discovered by Felipe Rivera Parra (1852–1920).

Popular culture

This nova figures in the plot of H. P. Lovecraft's short story "Beyond the Wall of Sleep".

External links

• http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/N/Nova_Persei_1901.html
• http://lheawww.gsfc.nasa.gov/users/mukai/iphome/systems/gkper.html
• Variable Star Of The Month - Nov 2000: GK Persei from the AAVSO
• APOD: GK Per: Nova of 1901, 2011 November 5
• GK Persei - gif

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "NOAO". NOAO. http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0008.html. Retrieved 22 Jun 2008.