Alert Notice 214: 0557-23 Supernova 1995ad in NGC 2139 AND 0059+53 Nova Cas 1995 AND Observations of 0409-71 VW Hyi and 0749+22 U Gem AND Fading of 1544+28a R CrB AND Change of Julian Date to 2450000 and AAVSO Data Entry Program [V723 Cas]

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
INTERNET:  aavso@aavso.org
Tel. 617-354-0484       FAX 617-354-0665

AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 214 (October 3, 1995)

0557-23 SUPERNOVA 1995ad IN NGC 2139

We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
(IAU Circular 6239) and R. McNaught, Anglo-Australian Observatory, of the
visual discovery of a supernova in NGC 2139 by the Rev. Robert O. Evans,
Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, on Sep 28.8 UT at magnitude 14-14.5.  The
discovery was confirmed by McNaught on Sep 29.8, using the 1.0-m telescope +CCD
at Siding Spring.  Evans reported no image visible on Aug 25 with his 0.41-m
reflector (IAU Circular 6239).

The supernova is located 25" west and 5" south of the nucleus of NGC 2139,
whose (2000) position is:

                R.A. 06h 01.1m     Dec = -23 degrees 40'

Spectroscopic confirmation was obtained by S. Benetti, European Southern
Observatory, and D. Grupe, Universitats-Sternwarte, Gottingen, who reported
that a fully-reduced CCD spectrogram (range 390-784 nm, resolution 0.4 nm)
taken with the ESO 1.5-m telescope (+ Boller & Chivens spectrograph) at La
Silla, Chile, on Sep 29.30 UT shows the object to be a type-II supernova around
maximum (IAU Circular 6239).

Please use the accompanying CCD (R) image provided by S. Benetti, ESO
in observing 0557-23 SN 2139.  Please report your observations in letter
sequence, using the letters we have added to the comparison stars, and
assigning 10 steps between each comparison star.

Congratulations to Bob Evans on his latest discovery!

0059+53  NOVA CASSIOPEIAE 1995

The slow nova, N Cas 95 (see AAVSO Alert Notice 213), continues to be bright,
as the observations in the accompanying light curve show.  Our thanks to all
observers who have been observing this very interesting nova and reporting
their observations to AAVSO Headquarters.

The optical behavior of Nova Cas 1995 appears to be similar to the early stages
of the slow nova HR Delphini (Nova Del 1967), as is indicated by the
accompanying light curve from the AAVSO archives.  HR Del also took about a
month to brighten from 12th to 6th magnitude, rose by another magnitude, and
then stayed bright with fluctuations for about four months until it brightened
by several magnitudes again.

Accompanying is a revised AAVSO preliminary "b" scale chart, prepared by C.
Scovil using the photoelectric (V) sequence provided by B. Skiff, Lowell
Observatory (via vsnet), and from the Hipparcos Input Catalogue.  Please use
this chart to observe N Cas 95.  When you report your observations to AAVSO
Headquarters, please be sure to indicate which chart and which comparison stars
you used to make your estimates.

OBSERVATIONS OF 0409-71 VW HYDRI AND 0749+22 U GEM

Astronomers at Villanova University will be observing the dwarf novae VW Hyi
and U Gem with the Hubble Space Telescope later this month, U Gem on October
10 and VW Hyi on October 21.  We have been requested to monitor these two stars
and inform the astronomers of their status.

Please monitor these two stars nightly and call, fax, or email your observations
to AAVSO Headquarters daily, through October 15 for U Gem and through October
24 for VW Hyi.  Our assistance is EXTREMELY important to the success of these
observing runs.

FADING OF 1544+28A R CORONAE BOREALIS

R CrB, the prototype of the R CrB class of variables, appears to be fading, as
the following observations indicate:  Sep 25.1125 UT, 6.1, W. Dillon, Missouri
City, TX; 27.001, 6.1, F. West, Hanover, PA; 28.008, 6.1, West; 28.0972, 6.1,
Dillon; 29.002, 6.0, West; 29.9882, 6.0, P. Dombrowski, Glastonbury, CT;
30.0708, 6.3, C. Stephan, Sebring, FL; Oct 1.028, 6.1, West; 1.74, 6.2, G.
Zajacz, Debrecen, Hungary;  1.86, 6.1, G. Poyner, Birmingham, England; 1.900,
6.3, Poyner; 1.926, 6.5, Poyner;  2.000, 6.3, Dombrowski; 2.9888, 6.6,
Dombrowski; 3.0000, 6.6, Bortle; 3.006, 6.2, West; 3.0910, 6.9, D. York,
Abiquiu, NM.

The last fading of R CrB occurred in August 1993 - January 1994, when the
star reached magnitude 8.5 at minimum.

Fadings of R CrB are unpredictable both in duration and in the magnitude to
which the star may fade.  Observers are urged to keep a close eye on R CrB, and
to report their observations to Headquarters until the star returns to maximum
at around 6.0.

CHANGE OF JULIAN DATE TO 2450000 and AAVSO DATA ENTRY PROGRAM

Observers are alerted to the fact that the third digit of the Julian Day will
be changing to "5" on October 9.  October 9, 1995, will be JD 2450000.  A
change of this order occurs only every 27.39 years!

For those observers who use the AAVSO-distributed data entry program to enter
their observations and prepare their monthly report, the version of the program
you have assumes the JD to be 244.....  We will be distributing a substantially
revised version of the data entry program in mid-October to all observers to
whom we have sent the data-entry and report-formatting software in the past.
The revised program accommodates any JD, and is much more flexible and
user-friendly.  If you have not received data-entry software from us in the
past, please let us know if you would like to receive the AAVSO's data-entry
and report-formatting software (which allows you to enter your observations in
any order and in any number of files, and to prepare a monthly report in AAVSO
format); please indicate if you need a 3.5- or 5.25-inch diskette.

CHARTS AND LIGHT CURVES AVAILABLE ON AAVSO FTP SITE

Chart links are obsolete; 11/2013 create charts using VSP at http://www.aavso.org/vsp

We have prepared electronic copies of AAVSO charts and light curves mentioned
in this Alert Notice for the following stars: SN 1995ad in NGC 2139 (chart),
N Cas 95 (chart and light curve), HR Del (light curve).  They are available
from our FTP site:

              ftp.aavso.org (198.116.78.2), in /pub/alert214

The answering machine at AAVSO Headquarters is on nights and weekends for your
convenience.  Please call our charge-free number (800-642-3883) to report your
observations.  We also encourage observers to send observations by fax to
617-354-0665 or by e-mail through the Internet to observations@aavso.org.

Many thanks for your significant astronomical observations and efforts.

Good observing!

Janet A. Mattei
Director

Caption for the CCD image:

SN 1995ad in NGC 2139.  CCD(R) image obtained by S. Benetti, European Southern
Observatory, using 3.6m telescope, on 1995, October 2. The field of view is
5.2 X 5.2 arcminutes.  Courtesy of S. Benetti, ESO.

Contributors to AAVSO light curve of N Cas 1995:

T. Bakonyi, Sandro Baroni, Terry Benner, John Bortle, Mark Bradbury, Eric
Broens, John Brooks, Thomas Burrows, Glenn Chaple, Richard Campbell, Michael
Collins (via G.Hurst, novanet, IAUC 6214), J. Csanyi, Roger Diethelm, Albert
Dill, William Dillon, Mary Dombrowski, Philip Dombrowski, Gerald Dyck, Robert
Fidrich, John Griese, Timothy Hager, Edward Halbach, Peter Hallett, James
Hannon, Robert Hays, Lawrence Hazel, Richard Huziak, Robert King, Laszlo Kiss,
K. Kosaka (via O. Ohshima, novanet, IAUC 6214), Thomas Lubbers, Jerome McKenna,
Attila Mizser, Robert Modic, Jack Nordby, John O'Neill, Laszlo Osvald, Alfredo
Pereira, Gary Poyner, Francisco Pujol, Jose Ripero Osorio, Phillip Robbins,
Diego Rodriguez, George Rosenberg, Ronald Royer, Sei-ichi Sakuma, J. Sanjuan,
Patrick Schmeer, Charles Scovil, Neil Simmons, Christopher Spratt, Christopher
Stephan, Robert Stewart, Gyorgi Szabo, Gyula Szabo, Rita Szabo, Robert Szabo,
P. Szakal, Laszlo Szentasko, Henri Van Bemmel, Wolfgang Vollmann, Gary Walker,
Paul Walker, M. Yamamoto (via vsnet, IAUC 6213), Robert Young, Z. Zakany, Mauro
Zanotta, Ronald Zissell.

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