Absolute spectrophotometry and photometric evolution of Nova Scuti 2005 N.1 (≡ V476 Sct)

Our CCD photometry of Nova Scuti 2005 N. 1 shows it to be a fast nova, characterized by t 2 = 15 and t 3 = 28d, affected by an E(B - V) ∼ 1.9 mag reddening, appearing at a position α = 18 h 32 m 04 s .753 (±0.04 arcsec) δ = -06°43'34'.'77 (±0.09 arcsec, J2000) and peaking at V ∼ 11.1 mag on ∼September 28.1 UT. Absolute spectrophotometry places it within the Fe II class. The profile of emission lines is characterized by a double peak with a velocity separation of 690 km s -1 and a width at half intensity of 1200 km s -1 . The distance to the nova is 4 ± 1 kpc, and its height above the Galactic plane is z = 80 ± 20 pc. The highly crowded field affects a possible identification of the progenitor, whose pre-outburst magnitude should, however, have been 22 < V < 25 mag, thus below the limit of photographic surveys. A deep BVR c I c photometric sequence is provided to support continued observations of the advanced decline phases.