AAVSO International Database

Alert Notice 364: Nova Vulpeculae 2007 No. 2 = V459 Vul

December 26, 2007

Event: Nova

Discovered Independently By:
- Hiroshi Kaneda, Sapporo, Japan (reported by S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan)
- Akihiko Tago, Japan (reported by Nakano)

Discovery Magnitude:
- Kaneda: CCD magnitude 8.7, through thin clouds and using a Nikon D40 digital camera (+105-mm f/2.5 lens), 3 frames
- Tago: CCD magnitude 8.3, using a Canon 20D digital camera (+ Pentax 105-mm f/3.2 lens), 2 frames

Alert Notice 365: Request to Monitor EF Eri for Hubble Space Telescope Observations

January 6, 2008: Dr. Paula Szkody (University of Washington) has requested our help in monitoring the magnetic cataclysmic variable EF Eri for upcoming Hubble Space Telescope observations. Confirming observations are requested to ensure that EF Eri is fainter than the safe observing threshold during the HST observing window on 2008 January 17 UT.

EF Eri is at RA = 03:14:13.20 , Dec = -22:35:43.0 (J2000).

Alert Notice 367: Monitoring of the Recurrent Nova U Scorpii

January 22, 2008: Dr. Bradley E. Schaefer (Louisiana State University) requests increased monitoring of the recurrent nova U Scorpii (AAVSO 1616-17) over the next 24 months. Observers are asked to add U Sco to their regular observing program and to monitor the star in advance of an outburst predicted to occur around 2009.3 +/- 1.0 year.

Alert Notice 368: Major Outburst of EX Lup

January 29, 2008: Further to AAVSO Special Notice #93, the pre main-sequence eruptive variable EX Lup (AAVSO 1556-40) appears to be  undergoing a major outburst, exceeding the previous brightest maximum recorded in 1955. Albert Jones (Nelson, NZ) reports that EX Lup reached a visual magnitude of 7.9 on 2008 Jan 29.66 UT (JD 2454495.1600). This exceeds the previous brigtest recorded magnitude of this object (m(vis) = 8.7 on JD 2435385.9 and 2435459.1) in 1955-56.  

Alert Notice 369: Outburst of AQ CMi

January 31, 2008: Rod Stubbings (Tetoora Road, Victoria, Australia) reports via VSNET (vsnet-alert 9869) that the rarely outbursting UGSU star AQ CMi is in outburst. Stubbings reports that AQ CMi was at m(vis) = 14.6 on JD 2454496.978 (2008 Jan 31 11:28 UT). It is unclear whether the current outburst is a normal outburst or a superoutburst. The last confirmed normal outburst occurred on February 28, 2000, and the last confirmed superoutburst occurred in March 1997, nearly 11 years ago.

Alert Notice 371: Support for XMM-Newton Observations of SS Aurigae

March 6, 2008: Dr. Patrick Godon (Villanova University / STScI) requests observations of the dwarf nova SS Aurigae (AAVSO Designation 0605+47) during the next several weeks in support of XMM-Newton X-ray observations. They request nightly visual and instrumental observations to determine whether the star was in outburst or quiescence during the observation scheduled for 2008 March 22/23 UT. Observations before, during, and after the scheduled X-ray observations will be used in their final analysis. Please begin observing now, and continue until at least April 5.