From jop at astro.columbia.edu Sun Feb 3 21:22:08 2008 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:22:08 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) V591 Cen, OT1112-35, and OT0747 Message-ID: <47A676D0.9060309@astro.columbia.edu> Dear CBAers, 1112-35 (Cen) stays strong and observable; I dunno about humps now, but it's definitely worth continuing to follow with time series. Also in the south, V591 Cen is apparently back in outburst after a long rest - can anyone down south test it for superhumps? On the equator, OT0747+06 appears to be done. It had one rebrightening, but the humps are gone and I doubt they'll be coming back. I think it's time to usher it off the stage. Here's the vsnet message on V591 Cen: -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [vsnet-alert 9878] Re: V591 Cen outburst Forwarded message from Rod Stubbings (thank you for your clarification! -- I must have missed this message). This object was discovered by Huruhata, renowned for the discovery of EG Cnc. The V591 Cen discovery article wrote: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1940BHarO.913...14H "Only one maximum has been observed. Positive observations are as follows" 2428628 16.0 31 14.1 33 14.2 37 14.5 38 14.8 40 14.9 68 15.8 (If the mags 15.8-16.0 represent combined mags, the rest of the data strongly suggest a superoutburst. Time-resolved photometry during the current outburst is very strongly requested). === V591 Cen: Correct position of V591 Cen from Berto Monard during the 2006 outburst. Regards, Rod Stubbings, Tetoora Observatory, Tetoora Road, Vic, Australia ====================================== From: "Berto Monard" To: ; ; Cc: Subject: [vsnet-alert 9158] V591 Cen position Date: Monday, December 04, 2006 11:06 PM The actual position (2000) of the probable CV, V591 Cen, based on astrometry on an outburst image gave: 12 42 17.95 -33 34 07.1 (vs UCAC2) with positional uncertainties of 0.03 and 0.15 respectively. This is 2.3"N and 2.2"W of the previously assumed counterpart which has position end figures: 18.12 and 09.4 . The CV atlas considers V591 Cen as a non-cv based on spectral measurements performed on this incorrectly assumed counterpart. The brightness of V591 Cen on the above image (unfiltered CCD) was 15.5CR (UT 2006 nov30.1). The object is not shown on DSS2-red to a magnitude limit of well beyound 20. From jop at astro.columbia.edu Mon Feb 4 11:34:39 2008 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:34:39 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) other transients, and am cvn Message-ID: <47A73E9F.7050004@astro.columbia.edu> Dear CBAers, For the record, the two other transients we're following are doing well: OT0845+03 and OT0211+17... both superhumping away at decent amplitude. Especially the latter - Tonny's one-cycle SU UMa star. Adding the data of Bob Koff, Jerry Foote, and Tut Campbell, I see that it's a large-amplitude superhumper with P=0.0897(4) d. But the observing runs on this newly discovered star in Aries are very short, and we could *greatly* use European or Asian coverage to eliminate aliasing. OT0845 is a little better covered, and yields a period of 0.0588 d, though with a little period wander. Should get at least another week on it. Bob Koff and Tut Campbell have kicked off the AM CVn season with some great data - just 2 days worth, but may there be ever so much more to come! This is a great target now, even for somewhat iffy skies. With V=14.2 and the emphasis on phasing of a known signal (at Porb), this one's not so difficult, and the scientific rewards will be great - though I admit the light curve is no barn-burner. We've been finding a lot of eclipsers in photometry of new Sloan stars. Most of these are mag 18-19, so I don't announce or promote 'em here. But if any of you are inclined to try a different kind of photometry (still time series, but with long integrations on faint stars), please let me know. It'll tax your telescope drive, the quality of your night, and possibly your software skill, but you might want to see how faint you can go and still get good data. joe From jop at astro.columbia.edu Thu Feb 14 21:12:27 2008 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:12:27 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) HV Vir and the new menu Message-ID: <47B4F50B.1070709@astro.columbia.edu> Dear CBAers, Well, all our dwarf novae du jour faded back to quiescence (Ari, Hya, CMi) - so they're off the menu. But yesterday a report of HV Vir's reawakening hit the wires - a bright WZ Sge star erupting just at the right time of year (transiting near local midnight). And equatorial as well! So that's great: at 11.5, available for all observers, and decently long nights in both north and south. Fire away! Most of our other prime targets should be expunged. Two exceptions in the north: 1. We'd like another 2 weeks or so on AM CVn. 2. It would be good to get a few weeks on UMa 6 = 0928+50. This is a 10 hr eclipsing binary with a lost ephemeris! And in the south, two lingering requests: 1. A few more timings of 0732-13. 2. T Pyx. This is definitely the last year; I have the paper 90% written! Enjoy those fine February nights. Sorry about Olde Whiteface up there... but HV Vir's blasting away at 11th magnitude! joe From jop at astro.columbia.edu Fri Feb 15 04:52:02 2008 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:52:02 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) NYTimes.com: Smaller Version of the Solar System Is Discovered Message-ID: <200802150952.m1F9q2uY002806@cbastro.org> This page was sent to you by: jop at astro.columbia.edu. Here's a recent (today's New York Times) discussion of finding planets by microlensing, using round-the-world photometric coverage -- with Jennie and Grant figuring prominently in the discovery. Another such article, discussing the CBA data of the fall 06 campaign (the "Halloween transient") - esp. the contributions of Tom Krajci and Bob Koff - is about to come out in ApJ and in Sky and Telescope. Pretty interesting stuff... joe SCIENCE / SPACE & COSMOS | February 15, 2008 Smaller Version of the Solar System Is Discovered By DENNIS OVERBYE Astronomers have found a miniature version of our own solar system 5,000 light years across the galaxy — the first planetary system that really looks like our own. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/science/space/15planets.html?ex=1203742800&en=2ef9690e766d10ea&ei=5070&emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help at nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company From jop at astro.columbia.edu Sat Feb 16 09:11:57 2008 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:11:57 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) V485 Cen... and HV Vir Message-ID: <47B6EF2D.1020702@astro.columbia.edu> Dear CBAers, This vsnet summary of Rod Stubbings' observations of V485 Cen show that it is presently in outburst. If it's a super, then we'd definitely like to get coverage. We've never had good coverage of a super from this star... and in view of its strange Porb (59 min), it would be awfully nice if we could remedy this deficiency. And HV Vir should certainly be accorded very high priority; only a few observations so far (Michel Bonnardeau and Arto Oksanen), but I earnestly hope for a deluge! joe -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [vsnet-outburst 8592] V485 Cen bright outburst Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:03:44 +0900 From: Ohshima To: suuma at yahoogroups.com, variable_star_forum at yahoogroups.com, vsnet-alert at yahoogroups.com, vsnet-campaign-dn at ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp, vsnet-outburst at ooruri.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp, vsnet-outburst at yahoogroups.com V485 Cen in bright outburst The very short orbital period (59min!) UGSU type dwarf nova V485 Cen is undergoing a bright outburst, possibly a superoutburst. Recent observations; 20060629.451 150 (Rod Stubbings) 20060630.515 153 (Rod Stubbings) 20060722.458 150 (Rod Stubbings) 20060821.403 152 (Rod Stubbings) 20061127.692 148 (Rod Stubbings) 20070213.516 148 (Rod Stubbings) 20070214.541 151 (Rod Stubbings) 20070217.517 <154 (Rod Stubbings) 20070317.460 141 (Rod Stubbings) 20070319.449 144 (Rod Stubbings) 20070321.462 148 (Rod Stubbings) 20070324.567 149 (Rod Stubbings) 20070411.496 152 (Rod Stubbings) 20070412.435 161 (Rod Stubbings) 20070508.376 153 (Rod Stubbings) 20070703.399 150 (Rod Stubbings) 20070901.424 143 (Rod Stubbings) 20070904.401 140 (Rod Stubbings) 20080115.578 148 (Rod Stubbings) 20080209.535 150 (Rod Stubbings) 20080214.533 142 (Rod Stubbings) 20080215.628 146 (Rod Stubbings)