List of novae in the Milky Way galaxy


This is a partial list of novae in the Milky Way galaxy that have been discovered and recorded since 1891. Novae are stars that undergo dramatic explosions, but unlike supernovae, these do not result in the destruction of the original star. The likely rate of novae in the Milky Way is about 40 per year, but of these only about 10 per year are discovered by observers as of the 2000s. This list attempts to include only the brighter or more notable novae.
The Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams maintains a more complete list of novae in the Milky Way since 1612.
For a list of novae in individual years, see instead: novae in 2018, novae in 2019.

Nomenclature

Novae are initially designated via a "Nova " format, e.g. "Nova Cygni 1974" and "Nova Scorpii 2010". An official permanent name is usually soon assigned by the General Catalog of Variable Stars using the GCVS format for the naming of variable stars. When more than one nova is discovered in a constellation in one year, a numeric suffix is appended; hence "Nova Sagittarii 2011 #2", "Nova Sagitarii 2011 #3", etc.
YearNovaMaximum brightness
161204550 Leonis+4.0
1670CK Vulpeculae+2.6
167303846 Puppis+3.0
1678V529 Orionis+6
1783WY Sagittae+6
1848V841 Ophiuchi+2.0
185300856 Trianguli+9.5
1853SZ Persei+9.5
1854SU Arietis+3.0
1854U Leonis+10.5
1860T Bootis+9.7
1860T Scorpii+7.0
1862V728 Scorpii+5.0
1863U Scorpii+8.8
1866T Coronae Borealis+2.0
1876Q Cygni+3.0
1877AB Bootis+4.5
1887V Persei+4.0
1891T Aurigae+3.8
1898V1059 Sagittarii+4.5
1899V606 Aquilae+5.5
1901GK Persei+0.2
1903DM Geminorum+4.8
1905V604 Aquilae+7.3
1910DI Lacertae+4.6
1912DN Geminorum+3.5
1918V603 Aquilae-0.5
1919HR Lyrae+6.5
1919V849 Ophiuchi+7.4
1920V476 Cygni+2.0
1920T Pyxidis+6.4
1925RR Pictoris+1.2
1927EL Aquilae+5.5
1927XX Tauri+5.9
1933RS Ophiuchi+4.3
1934DQ Herculis+1.4
1936CP Lacertae+2.1
1936V368 Aquilae+5.0
1939BT Monocerotis+4.5
1942V450 Cygni+7.0
1942CP Puppis+0.3
1943V500 Aquilae+6.1
1944T Pyxidis+7.1
1945V528 Aquilae+7.0
1946T Coronae Borealis+3.0
1948CT Serpentis+6.0
1948V465 Cygni+7.3
1950DK Lacertae+5.0
1956RW Ursae Minoris+6.0
1958RS Ophiuchi+5.0
1960V446 Herculis+2.8
1963V533 Herculis+3.0
1964QZ Aurigae+6.0
1967T Pyxidis+6.7
1967HR Delphini+3.7
1967RS Ophiuchi+5.0
1968LV Vulpeculae+5.2
1970FH Serpentis+4.4
1970V1229 Aquilae+6.7
1970V1330 Cygni+7.5
1971IV Cephei+7.0
1975V1500 Cygni+1.7
1975V373 Scuti+6.0
1976NQ Vulpeculae+6.0
1977HS Sagittae+7.2
1978V1668 Cygni+6.0
1982V1370 Aquilae+6.0
1984PW Vulpeculae+6.4
1984QU Vulpeculae+5.2
1985RS Ophiuchi+5.4
1986V842 Centauri+4.6
1986OS Andromedae+6.3
1987V827 Herculis+7.5
1987QV Vulpeculae+7.0
1991V838 Herculis+5.0
1992V1974 Cygni+4.2
1993V705 Cassiopeiae+5.8
1999V382 Velorum+2.6
1999V1494 Aquilae+4.0
2000V445 Puppis+8.6
2002V4743 Sagittarii+5.0
2006RS Ophiuchi+4.5
2007V1280 Scorpii+3.9
2009KT Eridani+5.5
2013V339 Delphini+4.3
2013V1369 Centauri+3.3
2015V5668 Sagittarii+4.0
2016V407 Lupi+5.6
2016V5856 Sagittarii+5.5
2018V906 Carinae+5.9
2018Nova Persei 2018+6.2
2020Nova Reticuli 2020+3.7