(cba:news) BZ UMa erupts

[Joe Patterson]

Dear CBAers,

As many of you know, Patrick Schmeer reported BZ UMa in bright outburst at
11.something, and photometric campaigns are kicking in at various sites.
It's a target of very, very high merit.  Why?  Well, it's a pretty bright
star, erupting with what look pretty much like dwarf-nova outbursts, and
it's orbital period of 0.068 d is smack dab where all dwarf novae are of
the SU UMa type.  Yet it has never displayed superhumps, and never shown a
certifiable supermaximum.  This could be because the star is not an SU UMa
star... or not a dwarf nova at all... or maybe it's just that a really
good campaign on the star has never been waged.

I dunno the answer, but it is true that no one has yet put together a
proper campaign - with long runs and multi-longitude collaboration.  It's
high time we do it - and with the star transiting decently close to
midnight, the timing is mighty fine!

The other northern star I wanted to mention is HS 0728+6738.  This is an
eclipsing SW Sex star with V~15.5 and Porb~3.2 hrs.  This is also a very
good target for a campaign, worth starting right now.

I'll send a fuller CBA message, with less hemispheric chauvinism,
tomorrow.

joe