(cba:news) V2051 Oph and stars of April

[Joe Patterson]

Dear CBAers,

Peter Nelson and Rod Stubbings report a fresh outburst of V2051 Oph.
Though not yet certain, it's likely to be a super... and an April
superoutburst of this star gives us another chance for excellent coverage
of an eclipsing SU UMa going through all outburst stages.  Notre
specialite!

We have serious competitors for southern attention now, in RX1155-56 and
V803 Cen.  RX1155-56 is back near minimum but still humping away at the
usual superhump period... so I think it's timely to abandon it for a
couple weeks, by which time it should have gotten over the shakes (and
started up a respectable *orbital* signal).  V803 Cen is tougher to figure
out... but I'd lessen the priority of that too (though please don't forget
about it, we'd greatly like to keep count of its rapid cycles throughout
the observing season).  I think V2051 Oph deserves top billing after it
rises.

In the north, I recommend RX1643+34 for the small scopes, and perhaps for
everyone after the moon gets bright in a few days.  In the early evening,
how about GP Com?  This is a tough target at 15.7, but should be a high
priority for us since it's another double-white-dwarf star (like AM
CVn)... these guys have always been good to us.

Anyone else (other than the Kiwis) going to the New Zealand Photometry
conference in early September?  I'm going for sure.  Could be a CBA
mini-meeting there.

    joe