  King, Modjaz, & Li (1999) discovered Nova 1999 in IC1613 at Lick Observatory.
Both Fugazza et al. (2000) and Borissova et al. (2000) questioned this
classification, because they were able to detect the star on images obtained in
previous years. In infrared frames taken on Oct. 15, 1998, the Nova 1999 has
(J-K) = 1.14 and K = 14.69 mag. Our light curve study, based primarily on 92
unfiltered Lick images, suggested that the object could be a Mira-type variable
with a period of 640.7 days. This period is very close to that obtained by
Fugazza et al. (2000) - 631 days. The star is overluminous with respect to the
period-luminosity (PL) relation derived by Feast et al. (1989) for Mira
variables in the LMC. At longer periods (P > 400 ~ days), many LMC Miras show
such behavior and the PL relation appears to break down. It is possible that
the situation in IC1613 is similar. An optical spectrum obtained with the
Keck-II telescope shows features typical of M3Ie or M3IIIe stars. We conclude
that the star is a normal long-period M-type Mira variable, the first such star
confirmed in IC1613.
