The astronomizings of Dr. Anderson and the curious case of his disappearing nova

TL;DR

This paper reviews Dr. Anderson's prolific astronomical discoveries, focusing on his 1923 claimed nova in Cygnus, and examines whether this final discovery was genuine or a false alarm.

Contribution

It provides a detailed historical analysis of Anderson's life and scrutinizes the authenticity of his last reported nova in Cygnus.

Findings

Anderson discovered multiple novae and variable stars.

His 1923 Cygnus nova remains unconfirmed.

The paper discusses the possibility of the 1923 nova being illusory.

Abstract

Dr. Thomas David Anderson (1853-1932) was a Scottish amateur astronomer famed for his discovery of two bright novae: Nova Aurigae 1891 and Nova Persei 1901. He also discovered more than 50 variable stars as well as making independent discoveries of Nova Aquilae 1918 and comet 17P/Holmes in 1892. At the age of seventy, in 1923, he reported his discovery of a further nova, this time in Cygnus. This was set to be the culmination of a lifetime devoted to scanning the night sky, but unfortunately no one was able to confirm it. This paper discusses Anderson's life leading up to the discovery and considers whether it was real or illusory.