(cba:news) stars for the new season

[Joe Patterson]

Dear CBAers,                                          Nov. 13, 1997.

     Back in the saddle again after 10 days out of town.  It's quite
wonderful to find an emailbox full of data... which I been digestin'.

     V592 Cas is putting on a show.  The star shows quite a strong
superhump at 2.9 hr, and at mag 12.7 and 50-something dec all the
northerners can do well with it.  I'm having trouble getting folks
moving on it (except for Jonathan, who I see every day and therefore
can be bugged mercilessly), so I hope you'll step into the breach and
get acquainted with this fine star.

     The really bright star well-placed up there now is TT Ari (mag
10.7).  Lasse got one run which suggested but did not prove that the
3.2 hr signal has returned at decent amplitude.  Ah shore am pow'f'l
eager to know if that's true!  TT Ari would be one of our absolute
finest stars if the signal would only return.  Can some intrepid
pioneer out there blaze the trail for us?  (Don't be *too* intrepid,
though, watch for saturation.)

     We inaugurated a CBA Most Wanted page at the website, worth
looking at.  Also, there are results from the PX And campaign, and
a submitted paper on AM CVn.  Visit us.

     I just finished analyzing the last year's somewhat sparse data
on FO Aqr (the 21 minute star, king of the DQ Hers).  The star is
falling in the O-C, which is fine, but someone may have cut its
parachute, because it's FREEfalling.  We really need some more runs
now, in the last month of its season, to track that large period
change -- and then pick it up again in May.  Two-hour runs do the trick
on this fine star.  He who hesitates is lost.  All hemispheres welcome.

     Jonathan just returned from a run at Braeside, and started our
season's coverage of DI UMa.  A pretty faint star (15-17.5) but mighty
precious to us and definitely a centerpiece of our northern winter
observing program.  Can you join us in this program?  Snapshots welcome
too, as well as time series, because the outburst properties are quite
poorly known.  Think of it as a memorial to the Princess.

     And, since Carthage has already been destroyed, it's worth urging
again that Australites keep the faith on AH Men = H0551-819 = "Men 1".
At -81 degrees it certainly keeps the faith on you.


              joe