News and Announcements
| 19 November | Solar Bulletin - Volume 70, Number 10 |
The October 2014 Solar Bulletin is now available.
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| 19 November | Three new eJAAVSO preprints |
ejaavso287 Long-term Secular Changes in the Period of Mira Stars Thomas Karlsson Almers väg 19, 432 51 Varberg, Sweden Received June 3, 2014; revised October 8, 2014; accepted October 24, 2014 Abstract |
| 17 November | New eJAAVSO preprint: observing zeta Aur binary stars |
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The Challenge of Observing the zeta Aurigae Binary Stars Frank J. Melillo
Received March 31, 2014; revised May 12, 2014 and June 12, 2014; accepted June 12, 2014 |
| 10 November | Special Notice #390: New possible WZ Sge variable ASASSN-14jv |
November 10, 2014: Astronomer's Telegram (ATel) #6676 (B.J. Shappee et al. 2014) notes the discovery of ASASSN-14jv, a bright optical transient found at V=11.3 on 2014 November 9.19 (JD 2456970.69). This object is suspected to be a cataclysmic variable of the WZ Sge subtype. Shappee et al. note that the source is less than one arcsecond away from a g=19.1 magnitude source in the Kepler Input Catalog, suggesting a large amplitude typical of UGWZ stars. |
| 03 November | The AAVSO Director search results are in! |
Hello Members, Observers, Colleagues, and Friends, As you may know, Dr. Arne A. Henden is retiring as Director of the AAVSO at the end of January 2015 after ten years of devoted service to the Association. |
| 29 October | Special Notice #389: Possible Supernova in NGC 4303 (M61) - PSN J12215757+0428185 |
October 29, 2014: The CBAT Transient Object Confirmation Page (follow-up page = http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/unconf/followups/J12215757+0428185.html) reports the discovery of a possible supernova in M61 (NGC 4303) by Koichi Itagaki (Yamagata, Japan) on 2014 Oct. 29.8376 UT at magnitude 13.6 CCD unfiltered. Coordinates: R.A. 12 21 57.57 Dec. +04 28 18.5 (2000.0) |
| 24 October | Alert Notice 505: Monitoring of Northern dwarf novae for radio jets campaign |
October 24, 2014: Ms. Deanne Coppejans (PhD candidate, Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands) and University of Cape Town) and colleagues have requested AAVSO observer assistance in monitoring several dwarf novae in support of their campaign to observe them in outburst with the Very Large Array (VLA) to search for radio jets. |
| 24 October | Silicon and Glass |
Everyone’s familiar with the term ‘bricks and mortar’. Many donors prefer to give to specific projects or programs that result in well-defined, tangible goods, such as the new wing of a building, a playground, or furniture and athletic equipment for a recreation center. |
| 24 October | Special Notice #388: Outburst of VSX J213806.5+261957 |
October 23, 2014: Carey Chiselbrook (Georgia, United States; AAVSO observer code CCY) observed the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova VSX J213806.5+261957 in outburst at a visual magnitude of 9.7 on 2014 October 22.0590 (JD 2456952.55903). Prior to the outburst detection, the last observation (also by CCY) indicated the star was not in outburst less than 24 hours prior (mvis < 13.8 at JD 2456951.6326). |
| 22 October | Charts and Sequences Update October 22, 2014 |
The following objects have had new or revised sequences added since the end of May. Please be sure you are using the most up to date charts and sequences if you observe any of these objects. A complete listing of new and revised sequences for 2014 is available here. |
| 20 October | Solar Bulletin - Volume 70, Number 09 |
The September 2014 Solar Bulletin is now available. Please visit the Solar Bulletinweb page to download your copy: http://www.aavso.org/solar-bulletin |
| 15 October | AAVSO Newsletter for October 2014 is published |
AAVSO Newsletter 62, October 2014 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. |
| 07 October | Alert Notice 506: Alpha Com eclipse observing campaign |
January 16, 2015: THIS CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN CANCELLED. PLEASE SEE AAVSO SPECIAL NOTICE #395 FOR DETAILS.
December 5, 2014: Drs. Matthew W. Muterspaugh and Gregory W. Henry (Tennessee State University) have requested AAVSO observers' assistance in monitoring the possible Algol-like binary star alpha Com before, during, and after the eclipse they have predicted for mid-to-late January 2015. |
| 29 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: Amplitude variations in pulsating yellow supergiants |
ejaavso 283 Amplitude Variations in Pulsating Yellow Supergiants John R. Percy Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada Received June 12, 2014; revised July 24, 2014; accepted July 24, 2014 Abstract |
| 17 September | Alert Notice 504: Epsilon Aur monitoring during predicted pulsation phase |
September 17, 2014: Dr. Robert Stencel (University of Denver Astronomy Program) has requested that AAVSO observers monitor epsilon Aurigae from now through the end of the observing season. |
| 12 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: CT Lac--Long-period Carbon Star with Long-Timescale Variations? |
ejaavso282 CT Lacertae: Another Long-period Carbon Star with Long-Timescale Variations? Matthew R. Templeton AAVSO, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138 |
| 11 September | Announcing the 2014 AAVSO Council Nominees |
Please click on the name of the nominee to view his/her online biography. Council election ballots were mailed to each member in mid-September. Best of luck to all of our nominees! |
| 05 September | Two new eJAAVSO preprints: O-C Methods; EQ Eri |
ejaavso281 Methods for O–C (Observed Minus Computed) Diagrams and for the Determination of Light Elements of Variable Stars with Linear and Second Order Polynomial Ephemerides Roy Andrew Axelsen Received July 24, 2014; accepted July 28, 2014 Abstract |
| 03 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: 23 New Variable Stars |
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23 New Variable Stars Maurice Clark Received May 20, 2014, accepted June 30, 2014 |
| 28 August | New eJAAVSO preprint: V393 Car, current light elements |
ejaavso278 Current Light Elements of the δ Scuti Star V393 Carinae Roy Axelsen Received May 1, 2014; revised July 1, 2014; accepted July 1, 2014 |
| 28 August | New eJAAVSO preprint: AL Pictoris and FR Piscium: Two Regular Blazhko RR Lyrae Stars |
ejaavso277 AL Pictoris and FR Piscium: Two Regular Blazhko RR Lyrae Stars Pierre de Ponthière Franz-Josef (Josch) Hambsch Kenneth Menzies |
| 27 August | Two new eJAAVSO preprints: Sloan Magnitudes for the Brightest Stars; BVRI Photometry of SN 2013ej |
ejaavso 276 Sloan Magnitudes for the Brightest Stars Anthony Mallama 14012 Lancaster Lane, Bowie, MD 20715 Received April 8, 2014; revised June 23, 2014; accepted July 8, 2014 Abstract |
| 20 August | New DSLR Observing Manual Available Free From AAVSO |
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| 18 August | Solar Bulletin - Volume 70, Number 7 |
The July 2014 Solar Bulletin is now available. Please visit the Solar Bulletin web page to download your copy: http://www.aavso.org/solar-bulletin |
| 06 August | Alert Notice 503: Request for regular monitoring of the symbiotic variable RT Cru |
August 6, 2014: Dr. Margarita Karovska (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and colleagues have requested AAVSO observer assistance in their campaign on the symbiotic variable RT Cru. Weekly or more frequent monitoring beginning now is requested in support of upcoming Chandra observations still to be scheduled. |
The AAVSO is pleased to announce the availability of our new 
