This month's Long Period Variable (LPV), SS Vir, should be a treat for visual observers. SS Vir is a bright but very dark red Carbon Star. It’s B-V index is 4.20, making it one of the reddest object around.
June 1, 2018: Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 635, the AMCVn binary SDSS J141118.31+481257.6 is rebrightening, and the expected superoutburst may be underway.
May 25, 2018: Dr. Thomas Kupfer (University of California, Santa Barbara) has requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring the rare AMCVn binary SDSS J141118.31+481257.6 during its current WZ Sge-like outburst, the first outburst detected for this system.
The outburst was detected by Tadashi Kojima (Gunma-ken, Japan) on 2018 May 19.514 UT with a magnitude 12.6 V +/- 0.2. At minimum brightness 19.7 CV, SDSS J141118.31+481257.6 brightened by over 6 magnitudes, reaching a peak brightness of 12.5-12.6 V.
May 11, 2018 : Dr. Frederick Walter (Stony Brook University) has requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring V1280 Sco (Nova Sco 2007).
After it appeared as a nova in February 2007 (AAVSO Alert Notice 346), V1280 Sco reached visual magnitude ~3.8 (several observers), then faded to about 13.2, brightened to about 12.7, and underwent a dust dip in June 2007 to <15.6 V (P. Nelson). It recovered to about 10.3 by about a year later.
