2015ApJ...808L..14I

We present early high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the nova V1369 Cen. We have detected an absorption feature at 6695.6 Å that we have identified as blueshifted ⁷Li i λ6708 Å. The absorption line, moving at -550 km/s, was observed in five high-resolution spectra of the nova obtained at different epochs. Based on the intensity of this absorption line, we infer that a single nova outburst can inject in the Galaxy = 0.3-4.8x10^–10. Given the current estimates of the Galactic nova rate, this amount is sufficient to explain the puzzling origin of the overabundance of lithium observed in young star populations.