01:02:21.8 -73:18:27 (J2000.0) 

                                                  Circular No. 7121
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
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NOVA IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD
     D. L. Welch, McMaster University, and the MACHO collaboration
(cf. IAUC 6312) report their discovery of an apparent nova at R.A.
= 1h02m21s.8, Decl. = -73o18'27" (equinox 2000.0), which peaked in
brightness sometime between consecutive observations on 1998 Dec.
25.513 (V = 19.0) and 1999 Jan. 3.519 UT (V < 13.5; image
saturated).  Prior to eruption, a stellar object at the nova's
position had a mean magnitude of V = 19.0, with peak-to-peak
brightness changes of 0.5 mag on a timescale of hundreds of days.
On 1999 Mar. 3.463, it was at V about 16, and it continues to fade.

                      (C) Copyright 1999 CBAT
1999 March 5                   (7121)            Daniel W. E. Green