Mathematics Made Simple

V603 Aquilae (or Nova Aquilae 1918) was a bright nova first observed (from Earth) in the constellation Aquila in 1918. It is a binary system, comprising a white dwarf and donor low-mass star in close orbit to the point of being only semidetached. The white dwarf sucks matter off its companion, which has filled its Roche lobe, onto its accretion disk and surface until the excess material is blown off in a thermonuclear event. This material then forms an expanding shell, which eventually thins out and disappears.

First seen by Zygmunt Laskowski, a medical professor and amateur astronomer, and then confirmed on the night of 8 June 1918 by the UK amateur astronomer Grace Cook at Stowmarket when on the watch for meteors at 9:11 G.M.T., The nova is estimated at between 784 to 839 light years distance from Earth. Nova Aquilae reached a peak magnitude of −0.5; it was the brightest nova recorded in the era of the telescope. It was brighter than all stars but Sirius and Canopus. Tycho's and Kepler's supernovae were brighter, but both occurred before the invention of the telescope.

Other independent discoveries on 8th June were made by Mr. W. F. Denning, at Bristol, and Mr. David Packer, at Birmingham, at 10.00 G.M.T.; Mr. C. L. Brook, at Meltham, at 10.15 G.M.T.; Mr. W. H. Steavenson, at West Norwood, at 10.30 G.M.T.; Mr. H. Thomson, at Newcastle, at 10.44 G. M. T., and Mr. Felix de Roy, at Thornton Heath, at 10.45 G. M. T. It was also noticed at 9.40 G. M. T. by Mr. Witchell, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, but not identified as a Nova. On the following day it was also detected independently in Scotland by Dr. Anderson, the discoverer of Nova Persei and Nova Aurigae.

References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/V603_Aquilae
https://www.nature.com/articles/101285a0

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