Back to the poles!

From: Joe Patterson <*jop_at_astro.columbia.edu*> Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 06:17:36 -0500 (EST) · jop_at_astro.columbia.edu

Dear CBAers,

UV Per has run its course, and we have really great coverage of this
outburst, right from the beginning.  Time to move on.  I'll be happy to
send all the spliced data to any of the contributors.

Let's get back to the novalikes!  We had two far-northern novalikes that
we just started the season on - HS0455+83 and RX0625+73.  These are very
well placed (OK, admittedly they're practically always well placed... but
still).  Pick out one that's well-suited to you, and fire away with many
happy long nights.

And in the south, same story.  AH Men is the big prize.  Initial coverage
from Jennie McCormick, Grant Christie, and Bill Allen show the star at its
best, with negative superhumps and a low-frequency "nodal" signal (at ~4
days).  The star is bright, the power spectra are fascinating, the nights
are warm (I imagine)... a formula for a good campaign!

Do some people have problems with these polar locations?... either because
of their mountings, or local obstructions?  Let me know, and I'll be more
declination-diverse in target selection.  Right away... I just wanted to
get a lot of attention redirected to our (hoped-for) friends at the poles.

And that means EF Tuc bows out.  We have a probable orbital period of 3.5
hours, based mainly on Bob Rea's work.  But it's done for the year, and
moves into the analysis stage.

joe