[Aavso-photometry] Var Her 04 Update & New field Variable

[Aaron Price]

 I just got back from observing with Mike Mattei and we used Var Her 04 to
test his new setup. He is a master with tools of any type. He has turned
his observatory from a storage room with various critters living in it to
an ideal CCD observing platform. Today he built a "captain's style" desk
to hold his two computer monitors (one for CCD and one for scope control)
and two TV monitors (one is hooked up to a live feed from the finder and
the other to the scope itself). That is just what his did TODAY. You can
imagine how cool this setup is after his years of work on it.

 I haven't had time to analyse all the data that has come in. I'll make a
pass tomorrow. It looks like it may be brightening as seen in these two
graphs:

http://brucegary.net/nova2004/LCV_4625_19z.png
http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/superstar2.pl?objectname=VAR+HER+04&lastdays=2&date1=&date2=2453183.6945&avgbin=&button_name=Please+Wait...&bad=on&userpepb=on&userpepr=on&userpeph=on&userpepj=on&obscolor=1&evalcolor=7&ftcolor=0&type=points&who=SFI&whocolor=3&whoftcolor=7&width=500&height=375&eval=yes&grid=off&magbottom=&magtop=

 I've updated the light curves on our web page here:
http://aavso.org/news/her04.shtml

 Lew Cook (COO) reports a possible variable in the field. It is the 13ish
star 2.2 arc minutes North of Var Her 04. Do not use this as a check star!
In fact, if you see variation in your own data submit it to the AAVSO as:

9999+99 VAR HER S

If it turns out to be a real variable maybe we'll publish it as an IBVS
announcement. It would be important for the pros to know this as some of
them may be using it for calibration too. He supplied an annotated image
of it from the AAVSO chart. It can be viewed here:
 http://www.aavso.org/news/varhers.gif

 Wierd humping and bumping of some type is still going on in this star.
This may end up being a very peculiar variable indeed! Please observe it
as much as possible this weekend! Nice long runs with good precision
equals nice juicy data. Good luck!!!!

Aaron