(cba:news) stars new and old

[Joe Patterson]

Dear CBAers,

Time to depart this cloudy mountain.  And since I was so loopy as to
schedule my connecting flight through Detroit, scene of an impending
snowstorm, I have a pretty good chance
of being stranded there tomorrow.  Look for me there as CNN runs the
inevitable pictures of glum, stranded travellers.

BZ UMa has disappointed (me, anyway).  Seems to be another short eruption,
not inclined to show any superhumps.  None so far.  I'm inclined to stop
coverage.  Some of you are observing for the AAVSO, though - and their
total coverage is so good as to be worth (maybe) extending for a complete
documentary record of the outburst.  Plus it may go back up again.

I'm inclined to recommend BH Lyn as the new choice target (accompanying FS
Aur) in the northern sky.  Eclipsing "SW Sex" star.  We found
superhumps in it once, but the aliasing prevented us from
establishing whether they were positive or negative.  Let's figure it
out for sure this time.  Sorry about the moonlight!

In the south, Greg Bolt, Bob Rea, and Jennie McCormick have covered RR
Pic very nicely - and we have a great record of its 2005 light curve.
Very well defined, but still showing only an orbital signal.  Back in the
box for RR Pic.

I recommend AH Men and T Pyx as the prime southern targets.  Both
long-term CBA targets, and probably ready for unveiling in 2005.  More
details when I get back to the east coast... but you guys know the drill!
The only extra catch is that AH Men has an unwanted companion 2-3 arcsec
away, so you'll want to make some accomodation for that - probably using
box photometry rather than psf fitting.

joe

p.s. it's been a cloudy 2 weeks on Kitt Peak - except for 4 straight
nights in the middle.  Very nice distribution of clear weather for
time-series purposes, though.  Accomplishment and frustration.