News and Announcements
| 13 November | Special Notice #375: Symbiotic variable AS 270 in outburst |
November 13, 2013: The symbiotic star AS 270 is in outburst, according to observations reported to vsnet-alert by Berto Monard (MLF; Calitzdorp, South Africa) and to the AAVSO International Database (AID) by Steve O'Connor (OCN; St. George's, Bermuda). O'Connor reports the star at V=11.72 +/-0.03 on 2013 November 13.405 UT (JD 2456609.905), well above its normal minimum magnitude of 14.2V. |
| 04 November | New eJAAVSO preprint: Book Review: The Life and Death of Stars (Lang) |
ejaavso 246: "Book Review: The Life and Death of Stars (Lang)" by J. B. Lester |
| 28 October | Special Notice #374: Possible Nova in Aquila = PNV J19023335+0315190 |
October 28, 2013: Koichi Itagaki (Yamagata, Japan) reports (via the TOCP page and [vsnet-alert]) his discovery of a possible nova in Aquila: R.A. 19h02m33.35s, Decl. +03o15'19.0" (J2000.0) 2013 Oct. 28.4571 UT, 13.8 mag (unfiltered) |
| 28 October | Help us pick the dates for the 2014 AAVSO CCD School! |
Please take a moment to help us pick the dates for the 2014 AAVSO CCD school. We are currently considering all weeks in July and August. If you are interested in participating in the week-long CCD School in 2014, we ask that you complete the scheduling survey. We will use the results of the survey to help us select the best week for the school. |
| 24 October | Special Notice #373: Comparison star changed for HD 15407A |
October 24, 2013: HD 15407A is one of the targets in the current observing campaign by Huan Meng and Dr. George Rieke (runs through December 2013; see AAVSO Alert Notice 482). The very nearby star marked 96 (HD 15407B, AUID 000-BKY-170) was selected as the comparison star for this target. However, it has been found that the published magnitude of this star is questionable, and the astronomers have withdrawn it as the comparison. |
| 22 October | New eJAAVSO preprint: Book review: Meeting Venus (Sterken and Aspaas, eds.) |
ejaavso 245: "Meeting Venus—a Collection of Papers Presented at the Venus Transit Conference, Tromsø 2012" (Sterken and Aspaas, eds.), by J. R. Percy |
| 15 October | Solar Bulletin - Volume 69, Number 9 |
The September 2013 Solar Bulletin is now available. Please visit the Solar Bulletin web page to download your copy: http://www.aavso.org/solar-bulletin |
| 10 October | New eJAAVSO preprint: Comments on the UBV Photometric System’s Defining Standard Stars |
ej 244: "Comments on the UBV Photometric System’s Defining Standard Stars" by Arlo U. Landolt Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 |
| 09 October | The 2013 AAVSO Fall Membership Meeting! |
We will be webcasting the 2013 Fall Membership Meeting on Saturday, October 12th for those members and guests not able to make it to Woburn, MA this year. You may log into the Webcast starting at 8.45ET (12.45UT). The actual meeting will start at 9.00ET (13.00UT). Please register for AAVSO Fall Membership Meeting webcast at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6282400887527923458 |
| 08 October | Charts and Sequences Update October 2013 |
The following is a list of chats and sequences created, updated or revised since June 25, 2013. If you are observing any of these stars please check to be sure you are using the most recent version of the sequence.
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| 04 October | AAVSO Newsletter, October 2013 is published |
AAVSO Newsletter 58, October 2013, is now published: |
| 01 October | Special Notice #372: Probable new red variable IRAS 17378-3411 = PNV J17411305-3413235 |
October 1, 2013: Koichi Nishiyama (Kurume, Japan) and Fujio Kabashima (Miyaki, Japan) report their discovery of a possible nova - which now appears to be a red variable - in Sco at unfiltered magnitude 11.1 on unfiltered CCD images taken 2013 Sep. 30.44605 UT. They confirmed their discovery on images taken around 2013 Sep 30.4621 UT. Nothing was seen down to magnitude 13.5 and 13.7 on images taken 2013 Jul 11.539 UT and 12.571 UT, respectively, or on DSS or USNO-B1.0 images. A check for minor planets was carried out. |
| 27 September | VStar User Manual |
The VStar User Manual is now available for download! Thanks to a Herculean effort by VStar's creator David Benn along with some invaluable editorial and annotational help from Kristine Larsen, this long-anticipated publication has become a reality. To get your copy, please visit the VStar Overview page and click on the yellow button marked "Download VStar User Manual". You will be glad you did! |
| 24 September | Special Notice #371: BB Ari observations particularly crucial now |
September 24, 2013: HST/COS is scheduled to observe the SU UMa-type variable BB Ari: |
| 17 September | New membership classifications, benefits and dues |
There have been some changes in membership classifications, benefits and dues for the 2014 membership year. Regular Annual dues will now be $75.00. The annual Sustaining membership rate will be raised to $150.00. If you are an educator, student, have a limited income or you are on a pension, your dues will be $37.50 per year. |
| 16 September | Solar Bulletin - Volume 69, Number 8 |
The August 2013 Solar Bulletin is now available. Please visit the Solar Bulletin web page to download your copy: http://www.aavso.org/solar-bulletin |
| 11 September | Special Notice #370: GZ Cet observations crucial now |
September 11, 2013: HST/COS is scheduled to observe the WZ Sge-like SU UMa variable GZ Cet (SDSS J013701.06-091234.9) the day after tomorrow. Observations are scheduled for: |
| 09 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: Amplitude variations in pulsating red giants |
ejaavso 243: "Amplitude Variations in Pulsating Red Giants" by J. R. Percy, R. Abachi |
| 09 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: V784 Oph: RR Lyr Star with multiple Blazhko modulations |
ejaavso 242: "V784 Ophiuchi: an RR Lyrae Star with Multiple Blazhko Modulationsi" by P. de Ponthiere, F.-J. Hambsch, T. Krajci, K. Menzies |
| 05 September | Special Notice #369: GZ Cet (SDSS J013701.06-091234.9) HST/COS obs next week |
September 5, 2013: HST/COS is scheduled to observe the WZ Sge-like SU UMa variable GZ Cet (SDSS J013701.06-091234.9) next week. Observations are scheduled for: |
| 05 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: Discovery of Pulsating Components in Southern Eclipsing Binary Systems |
ejaavso 241: "Discovery of Pulsating Components in the Southern Eclipsing Binary Systems AW Velorum, HM Puppis, and TT Horologii" by D. J. W. Moriarty, T. Bohlsen, B. Heathcote, T. Richards, M. Streamer |
| 30 August | Alert Notice 490: Optical monitoring of T Ori requested |
August 30, 2013: Dr. William Herbst (Wesleyan University) and Rachel Pedersen (Bates College) have requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring the Orion variable T Ori in support of spectroscopy they will be obtaining during September 2013. AAVSO nightly coverage (visual or electronic, not time series) of this star is crucial throughout the month of September. |
| 20 August | What's in store for Nova Del 2013? |
No one knows what Nova Del 2013 will do next, but there are some tantalizing possibilities.
The current AAVSO light curve for Nova Del 2013 So far it appears Nova Del 2013 is a 'slow nova', type NB in VSX. By definition, it takes 150 days or more for a slow nova to fade by 3 magnitudes. Sometimes "or more" can mean a lot of other exciting goings on. |
| 19 August | Nova Del 2013 |
Below is a listing of the various AAVSO publications, posts, and articles on the new bright nova in Delphinus. Use the links on the right side of the page to find out more about the AAVSO and how you can get in on the action. Clear skies!
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| 16 August | AAVSO Alert Notice 489: Nova Delphini 2013 = PNV J20233073+2046041 |
August 16, 2013 |
