T Pyx erupts...

From: Joe Patterson <*jop_at_astro.columbia.edu*> Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1998 11:33:50 -0500 (EST) · jop_at_astro.columbia.edu

Just kidding.

A cheap ruse to get your attention.

It's still at mag 15.3, but the periodicity has become of great interest,
with the 8.1/9.1/10.1 c/day signal now dominating and very strong at 0.14
mag amplitude.  This means that multi-longitude observations can now
determine that frequency (they couldn't before), and we can finally figure
out what to do with all these default claims of magnetism (to explain the
noncommensurate periods).  We need to overcome the 1-day aliasing, and to
measure the period accurately enough to derive an ephemeris.

And lurking beghind all this is the possibility of measuring the mass
and angular momentum losses in the next nova outburst, due any day now.

We have 5 more days of coverage in Chile (J. Kemp, I. Feygina) -
coverage from other longitudes would be wonderful!

         Joe