Nova in Hercules fades sharply

18 June 2021 Mark Armstrong
The nova V1674 Her imaged on 15 June after fading from its brightness on the day it was discovered. Image: Martin Mobberley

Nova Herculis 2021, now tagged with the formal variable star designation of V1674 Her, has faded sharply since it peaked at a visual magnitude of around +6 on June 12, the day of its discovery. At the time of writing (18 June), the nova is estimated to shine at around magnitude +10, sadly out of range of 10 x 50 binoculars though it’s still an easy target for a small telescope.

V1674 Her is very well placed for observation now and over the rest of the summer, so observers would do well to continue to monitor this nova carefully. Astronomers can’t be sure that the nova’s current fading trend will continue and hopefully it will spring a surprise or two.

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