[Aavso-photometry] HMXB Campaign Time - Lets Go Photon Hunting

[Tim Crawford]

AAVSOvians& Photon Chasers,

Dr. Gordon Sartyhas again been successful in securing some time on the 1.84 meter PaskettTelescope, at the DAOin Victoria, to do spectroscopy on three specific HMXBTargets, specificallyto compute radial velocity measurements

LPH0034, LPH040  LPH058:

http://homepage.usask.ca/~ges125/AAVSO_HMXB_Charts.html

David D. Balam, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, is going to be operating the spectroscope through the night of January 18th.

Dr. Sartyis very anxious to have long time series photometry on all of these targets with LPH040 (V420 Aur-See Note at bottom) being the current priority if you are only able to follow one. BVRIphotometry is even more appreciated with V & I being the priority filters for long time series.

Dave checked into the Chat line Thursday night to let us know he was open and able to do spectroscopy.

Here is the outside dome video cam link and also some information about the DAO:

http://www.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/dao/skycam_e.html

I hope that we can get a number of folks to help out so that they can get some simultaneous photometry... and by the way.... photometry is to be appreciated long after the 18th.... lots of nights are needed to help, among other issues, with establishing periods.

NOTE RE LPH040:

With these particular targets Good SN numbers are very much necessary.  LPH040 (V420 AUR) presents a special challenge in as much as the Target ~ 7.5 mag while the comps are in the ~12 mag range.  The only way to get good SN numbers without overexposing the target is to do an ensemble:

Lionel Catalan, who will be zero pointing multiple observers observations of this target has requested that if we do an ensemble that the CMAG (AAVSO Extended Format) be the average IM magnitude of the ensemble and that the KMAG be the IM of a check star that is not part of the ensemble and is close in color to the target.
In my particular case, I have chosen to use f,j,k&g as the comp stars for a 4 star ensemble and the h star as the check star (as within my fov this star best matches the color of the target).

For HMXBbackground check out this eJAAVSOpdf
http://www.aavso.org/publications/ejaavso/ej56.shtml
Please help out if you are able to and know that your efforts will appreciated by a lot of folks involved in this endeavor.
Happy New Year and ad Astra

Tim Crawford CTX
Arch Cape Observatory