AAVSO Newsletter 63, January 2015 is now available to members
The AAVSO Newsletter is a periodic, general forum that supports our various observing programs with lists of new targets, observing programming ideas, and general information that spans a wide area of interest. Guest writers contribute pieces that can range from current events to book reviews.
The Curious Case of ASAS J174600-2321.3: an Eclipsing Symbiotic Nova in Outburst?
Stefan Hümmerich Stiftstr. 4, Braubach, D-56338, Germany; American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), Cambridge, MA;
Bundesdeutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Veränderliche Sterne e.V. (BAV), Berlin, Germany
Sebastián Otero Olazabal 3650-8 C, Buenos Aires, 1430, Argentina; American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), Cambridge, MA
January 19, 2015: The blazar PKS 0716+71 == S5 0716+71 is currently in a very bright active state, at a visual magnitude of 12.1 as observed by G. Poyner on 2015 January 19.212 (JD 2457041.712). The object was first noted in outburst by Arkharov et al.
Received January 8, 2015; accepted January 8, 2015
Abstract
This paper contains times of maxima for 67 short period pulsating stars (primarily RR Lyrae and delta Scuti stars).
These maxima represent the CCD observations received by the AAVSO Short Period Pulsator (SPP) section in 2014.
January 16, 2015: We have been informed by PI Dr. Matthew Muterspaugh that his campaign on alpha Com (AAVSO Alert Notice 506) has been cancelled. Position measurements published a century ago contained errors that affected the predictions for the time of eclipse.
More information will be coming from Dr. Muterspaugh and we will disseminate it to everyone in an Alert Notice, but he asked that the observer community be informed now so that observing efforts might not be wasted.
Revised Light Elements of 78 Southern Eclipsing Binary Systems
Margaret Streamer, Jeff Byron, David J. W. Moriarty, Tom Richards, Bill Allen, Roy Axelsen, Col Bembrick, Mark Blackford, Terry Bohlsen, David Herald, Roland Idaczyk, Stephen Kerr, Ranald McIntosh, Yenal Ogmen, Jonathan Powles, Peter Starr, George Stockham
January 12, 2015: Photometry by P. Benni (AAVSO observer code BPAD; Massachusetts, United States), D. Collins (CDK; North Carolina, United States), F. Campos (CFRA; Catalunya, Spain), and F. Melillo (MFR; New York, United States) suggest that b Persei may have entered eclipse around JD 2457033.6 (2015 January 11.1 UT). Time-series photometric observations of this bright star are urgently requested beginning immediately, and continuing for the next two weeks (through at least 2015 January 26 UT) and possibly beyond.
