(cba:news) CBA campaigns

[Joe Patterson]

Hi CBAers,

Some new, old, and continuing campaigns.

1. Keep up the GREAT work on Maxie = ASASSN-18ey.  We're past the 
hundred-day mark now, and the star is still bright (13) and flashing its 
very powerful superhumps.  We've seen a few superhumps before from the 
black-hole transients, but never with such longevity, amplitude, and 
long orbital period (~16 hours).  And very amenable to our observing 
style of long, continuous time series.  Truly, truly a Maxie!

2. Time to quit on CR Boo.  We have a fair amount of coverage near 
quiescence (our target), but lots of up-and-down cycles too - the bane 
of CR Boo campaigns, and presenting analysis problems.  Time to sort it 
in Boo's off-season.

3. As many of you know, the dwarf nova V392 Per seems to have had a 
classical-nova outburst this year.  If true (it *seems* to be true), the 
star warrants all the attention we can muster.  I doubt that anyone can 
observe it now - but put it on your list when it re-appears (August?)

4. Another star of this type (nova <-> dwarf nova) is V1213 Cen, still 
available briefly in the evening sky.  We've strangely overlooked it - 
but it's likely to become a touchstone star in understanding the 
evolution of CVs among the various subtypes (nova/novalike/dwarf-nova/ER 
UMa).  We published a theory about this a few years ago (BK Lyn) - let's 
find out if it's true.

5. Just emerging in the morning sky is VW Hyi, and the radio astronomers 
are keen to launch an across-the-spectrum study during its next outburst 
- preferably starting early in the outburst.  Both supers and normals 
are eligible - and even a *visual* observation is useful (what's wanted 
is primarily a "trigger" for the multiband campaign).  Even a 
*prediction* of the next outburst is of interest, too.

6. Again on the nova theme, two of our old favorites are back in the 
sky, asking for attention: V1974 Cyg and V1494 Aql.  The big-shot novae 
of the 1990s.  They both have - or had at last glance - fascinating 
orbital light curves.  Very good targets for a July-Aug campaign.

Now that I hear of all the CBAers attending the Warwick AAVSO/BAA 
meeting, I really wish I could go.  Lotta personal issues to attend to 
during the next few weeks.  I'll definitely make the November AAVSO 
meeting in Flagstaff.

joe p



____________________________________________________________
Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) mailing lists
https://cbastro.org/communications/mailing-lists/