From jop at astro.columbia.edu Mon Dec 1 13:50:19 2014 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 13:50:19 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) December stars Message-ID: <547CB86B.3010504@astro.columbia.edu> attached. Let me know if you can't read the pdf! joe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: cba12114.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 67555 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- ____________________________________________________________ Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists https://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/ From jop at astro.columbia.edu Tue Dec 2 20:31:31 2014 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 20:31:31 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) December stars, and FS Aur In-Reply-To: <547E5D6E.4040606@rollinghillsobs.org> References: <547CB86B.3010504@astro.columbia.edu> <547E5D6E.4040606@rollinghillsobs.org> Message-ID: <547E67F3.4000902@astro.columbia.edu> Thanks, Shawn. We have a couple of such states in past coverage - no definite period, but enough to suggest (to me... but not nearly enough to prove)a quasi-period of ~80 days. Outbursts quite small (1.5 mag?) and quite brief (2 d?). Does that sound about right? I have no idea if this star is *important*, but it sure is *unique*. An orbital period of 1.4 hr, and a decent-amplitude, strictly periodic photometric wave of 3.4 hours. Nuthin' like it in the sky, and way different from the stars which dominate this orbital-period regime (the dwarf novae and polars, probably 99% of the total). It just wiggles away. What is it? Could be a very rewarding target, if you don't mind a somewhat faint star that doesn't do a helluva lot. Seriously! You'll definitely ask yourself "is this really worthwhile?" The eclipsers and superhumpers offer more immediate rewards. joe On 12/2/2014 7:46 PM, Shawn Dvorak wrote: > FS Aur is (was?) in a bright state. I caught what was probably the > start of the outburst on the night of 11/29-30 when it started > brightening around 11/30 05:30 UT and went from ~15.7 to 15.2CV in three > hours. On the night of 11/30-12/01 it was steady at ~14.0CV. Nice 0.3 > mag variations that night, not obviously regular to casual inspection. > Unfortunately it was cloudy here last night, and conditions are poor > tonight. > > Shawn > > > On 12/01/2014 01:50 PM, Joe Patterson wrote: >> attached. Let me know if you can't read the pdf! >> >> joe >> >> >> ____________________________________________________________ >> Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists >> https://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/ > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists > https://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/ > ____________________________________________________________ Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists https://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/ From jop at astro.columbia.edu Tue Dec 2 21:00:48 2014 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 21:00:48 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) AAVSO Special Notice #391: radio emission from northern dwarf novae In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <547E6ED0.6030008@astro.columbia.edu> I just wanted to forward this one (again??). Not our usual mode of observing, but perhaps very productive. Radiotelescopes have improved so much that they're capable of detecting, and maybe even *resolving*, little puffs of gas ejected in outburst. But we have to look at the right time, and that's where the visual monitoring comes in. joe -------- Original message -------- From aavso at aavso.org Date: 02/12/2014 22:09 (GMT+00:00) To garypoyner at blueyonder.co.uk Subject AAVSO Special Notice #391: Targets remaining for northern dwarf novae campaign AAVSO Special Notice #391 December 2, 2014 Targets Remaining in Northern Dwarf Novae Campaign AAVSO Alert Notice 505 (http://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-505) announced the campaign on several northern dwarf novae by Deanne Coppejans and colleagues. This campaign, searching for radio jets in dwarf novae, has been moving very quickly! Thanks to your observations and timely notifications, three of the five sets of VLA observations available for the targets have been used on Z Cam, RX And, and YZ Cnc. The PI is extremely appreciative and thanks you all for your excellent work. She is presently analyzing the VLA data on these stars. The two remaining sets of observations are being reserved for U Gem in outburst and SU UMa in superoutburst. Please concentrate your campaign efforts on these two targets. Please observe these systems NIGHTLY and report all observations as soon as possible. In the event of an outburst, please report your observations as quickly as you can via WebObs, and also notify Dr. Matthew Templeton and Elizabeth Waagen at AAVSO Headquarters and Deanne Coppejans (matthewt at aavso.org, eowaagen at aavso.org, d.coppejans at astro.ru.nl). Please also post outburst detections to the Campaigns and Observation Reports forum (http://www.aavso.org/forums/variable-star-observing/campaigns-observation-reports). Visual magnitude estimates are a fast and effective means of monitoring these dwarf novae. CCD observations are also useful; time series are not required. Please reduce your frames and report your data as soon as possible following an observing run. Coordinates (2000) and Range Name R.A. Dec. Max Min Type Date last outburst 2014 U Gem 07 55 05.21 +22 00 04.8 8.9 vis 15.4 V UGSS May 22 (2456799) SU UMa 08 12 28.28 +62 36 22.3 10.9 vis 14.9 vis UGSU Jul 02 (2456840) Finder charts with sequences for U Gem and SU UMa may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (VSP, http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Please report your observations to the AAVSO International Database using the names U GEM and SU UMA. Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of this campaign - your observations and swift notifications are crucial to its success! This AAVSO Special Notice was compiled by Elizabeth O. Waagen. ---------------------------------- SUBMIT OBSERVATIONS TO THE AAVSO Information on submitting observations to the AAVSO may be found at: http://www.aavso.org/webobs SPECIAL NOTICE ARCHIVE AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION A Special Notice archive is available at the following URL: http://www.aavso.org/special-notice-archive Subscribing and Unsubscribing may be done at the following URL: http://www.aavso.org/observation-notification#specialnotices ------------------------------------------------- Please support the AAVSO and its mission -- Join or donate today: http://www.aavso.org/apps/donate/ __._,_.___ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Posted by: garypoyner ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reply via web post ? Reply to sender ? Reply to group ? Start a New Topic ? Messages in this topic (1) -------------------------------------------- Visit the BAA Variable Star Section web site at... http://www.britastro.org/vss/ -------------------------------------------- Visit Your Group Yahoo! Groups ? Privacy ? Unsubscribe ? Terms of Use . __,_._,___ ____________________________________________________________ Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists http://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/ From jop at astro.columbia.edu Wed Dec 31 14:33:26 2014 From: jop at astro.columbia.edu (Joe Patterson) Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:33:26 -0500 Subject: (cba:news) targets for January 2015: T Pyx, CP Pup, HZ Pup, and especially ASASSN-14mv Message-ID: <54A44F86.7030507@astro.columbia.edu> Dear CBAers, Out with the old (except DQ Hers), in with the new (or newly re-acquainted). ASASSN-14ei has had a glorious year, with steady observation from NZ (Bob Rea), South Africa (Berto), Chile (Josch), and especially Australia (Gordon). 5 solid months, nearly every night, spanning the Earth, with the star showing a superoutburst followed by 12 echoes (and counting). The superhumps endure throughout, and their coherence (stability in phase) is amazing. Basic period of 42.9 minutes, with numerous harmonics. Wow. Apparently the helium stars can manage much better stability than the H guys. Food for thought (but I doubt I can figger it out). Anyway, it's time to END THE CAMPAIGN. Evening twilight is shortening the runs, and there's just too much low-hanging fruit out there to keep going. UNLESS there's another 12th magnitude superoutburst - *that* would be worth an encore performance. There are *numerous* excellent targets well-placed in the southern sky this month. These are: 1. T Pyx. Occasional all-night (or very lengthy) runs will do the job. We need only ten more over the whole Jan-Feb-Mar observing season. 2. HZ Pup (=Nova Pup 1963). Last year we found the periodic signals confirming its identity as a DQ Her star. Now it's time to test the long-term stability (certify its remembrance of phase from 2014 to 2015). We definitely want long runs - and the most desirable time window is the next two weeks (subject to moonlight limitations of course), because we have an observing run on the MDM 2.4m then. We can't get long runs on Puppis of course, but can provide observations linking South Africa to AU/NZ. About 17th mag. 3. CP Puppis. Prime season for this fascinating star. We seem to know its Porb (88 minutes), and we know the large photometric humps occur at a slightly longer period. Sounds familiar, right? Au contraire! The variations are not understandable as superhumps, and are much less stable. To understand them, we need to get coverage as global as possible. Perhaps this should wait until the present bright-moon period is over. 4. V959 Mon. Definitely want lengthy runs for this 2012 nova. The two very high priority stars are: 1. WX Ari. The lengthy 2014 low state continues, with the star at 19th magnitude. I know it sounds quixotic, but if you can possibly get a 3-4 hour time series on this star - maybe with a red filter to subdue moonlight - it would be very rewarding! 2. ASASSN-14mv. A star (dwarf nova??) just erupted, and just discovered. See http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~assassin/transients.html Josch's first night on this star, just communicated on cba-chat, show obvious fast waves in this star (I assume it's a star). very well placed for lenthy runs. Around 13-14 magnitude. A sensational way to end one year and start the next! The other good northern targets are DQ Hers (intermediate polars). You know the drill on these guys, and maybe you even have your favorites. Most of them need coverage, and most can accept several-hour runs. Longer is always better, but a few hours is usually good enough. The ones particularly starved for coverage are: HT Cam, V647 Aur, V667 Pup, DW Cnc, and WX Pyx. Happy observing in 2015! joe ____________________________________________________________ Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists https://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/