(cba:news) Warning: IY UMa virus

[Joe Patterson]

Sorry ... cheap trick.  I'm sure it's actually perfectly safe to
observe IY UMa.  But despite all the pleasure and science this star
brought us in the spring of 2000, I thought we should pass it up this time
around.  Basically because I can't imagine our getting better coverage
than last time around, and because "the night is very large and full of
wonders".

Prime northern target remains RX1643+48.  Any help from European
longitudes on this guy?  It's quite bright and would help tame those
infuriating May twilights.  The coverage so far suggests an intricate
network of finely spaced periods... great grist for our mill if we get
coverage sufficiently extensive.  Contributions from all longitudes
eagerly sought!  If you have a longitude, we'd love your data.

We're not doing well with GP Com... it's a little too faint and too
inactive to be popular with CBAers.  So off the stage it goes.  The best
first target is our old friend CR Boo.

Down south, V803 Cen seems to have gotten too faint to keep observer
interest up.  But it's worth keeping a close eye on.  We started this
year's campaign with a superoutburst, and should keep the faith till the
next super, so we can basically cover one full cycle.  In the evening, I'd
say CR Boo and V803 Cen are the best targets.

In the southern morning sky, it might (or might not) be worth keeping up
the watch on V2051 Oph.  Berto, Bob Rea, and Jerry Foote have been
visiting this star, so we have good round-the-world coverage.  I guess my
comment is: if it's still bright enough to get a good signal on, then
continue... and otherwise not.  (It has jumped around a bit, and I'm a bit
puzzled by its eruption state.)

Sorry I've been so quiet lately.  End of semester.  Final exam Tuesday,
graduation the week after.  Just ahead lies freedom.



        joe