REDISCOVERING NOVA PUPPIS 1942: DIGITIZATION AND FIRST ANALYSIS OF ITS PRE–MAXIMUM SPECTRA

Spectra of novae obtained before maximum brightness are exceptionally rare yet crucial for understanding the initial physics of the explosion. In this paper, we present the recovery and analysis of a unique, unpublished set of spectroscopic plates of Nova Puppis 1942 taken from the archives of the Observatorio Astronómico de La Plata (La Plata Astronomical Observatory, Argentina). The collection of spectra, recorded by Dr. A. Wilkens starting on the night of the nova’s discovery by Dr. B. Dawson (8 November 1942), includes nine spectra from the two days prior to its peak brightness. We detail the digitization process of the 28 plates, which cover the nova’s evolution until June 1943, and provide an initial qualitative analysis of the spectral changes. This work makes an historically significant dataset publicly accessible for the first time, offering a rare window into the early evolution of one of the twentieth century’s brightest novae.