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              THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
                  25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
                       INTERNET:  http://www.aavso.org
                  Tel. 617-354-0484       Fax 617-354-0665

                    AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 318 (June 10, 2005)

SUBJECTS:
 1. NEW ALERT NOTICE PUBLICATION POLICY
 2. POSSIBLE NOVA IN AQUILA
 3. NEW POSSIBLE CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE IN NORMA
 4. REQUEST TO MONITOR THE CV SDSS 013132 FOR HST OBSERVATIONS
 5. V2291 OPH ECLIPSE PEP CAMPAIGN
 6. TU CAS VISUAL + PEP + CCD CAMPAIGN
 
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1. NEW ALERT NOTICE PUBLICATION POLICY

   In order to adapt to the changing needs of both our observers and
professional community we have decided to simplify our electronic alert
publication strategy. A summary of the changes are below:

   * Alert Notice: All discoveries, request for observations and campaigns
will be announced through the Alert Notice.

   * Special Notice: Announcements on interesting and/or rare stellar
activity that are not discoveries and do not involve new campaigns will 
be announced through Special Notices.

   * CCD Views & Eyepiece Views: Follow up information and results of
previously announced campaigns will be made through CCD Views for CCD/PEP 
photometric campaigns and Eyepiece Views for visual campaigns.

   In the next month we will be adding some new features to the AAVSO web
site to accomodate these changes. Subscribers to the Alert Notice will
be able to specify whether they want CCD, visual, PEP or all alerts sent to
them. The Special Notice replaces our Special MyNewsFlash. So all subscribers 
to the MyNewsFlash will be subscribed to the Special Notice. You can also 
subscribe or unsubscribe to any of these publications at the URL below.

               http://www.aavso.org/publications/email/ [4]

   Please feel free to send any questions to aavso@aavso.org.

   Clear skies!
   Arne Henden
   Director

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2. POSSIBLE NOVA IN AQUILA

   A possible nova has been reported by the ASAS-3 survey and confirmed 
by Arto Oksanen (OAR). Astrometry done by Oksanen based on USNOA2 
gives a position of:
              RA = 19:05:12.5  Dec.= +05:14:12.0  +/- 0.4".

   Available photometry:

    Date (UT)                        
  JUN 03.318  <14.0    V  ASAS
  JUN 09.240   11.0    V  ASAS
  JUN 10.226   10.5    V  ASAS
  JUN 10.234   10.8    V  ASAS
  JUN 10.3606  -0.143  V  OAR  Relative mags to GSC 470:857 (V=11.0)
  JUN 10.3659  -0.152  V  OAR    "

  JUN 10.3629   1.280  B  OAR    "
  JUN 10.3668   1.344  B  OAR    "

  JUN 10.3591  -0.990  Rc OAR    "
  JUN 10.3649  -0.991  Rc OAR    "


   No object is seen at this position in the POSS plates meaning that 
this nova is likely to have an amplitude >10 magnitudes! We will keep 
you abreast of latest developments of this nova through the AAVSO 
web site and CCD Views. 

   An AAVSO chart with B-V photometry from Tycho and V photometry from 
ASAS-3 is available at this URL:
  http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=n%20aql%2005 [5]

   Visual and filtered CCD observations every night are requested as long 
as it is visible from your location. 

   A web page for this object has been setup and will be updated as we get 
more data. It is at http://www.aavso.org/news/n-jun05.shtml [6] .

   Report this object as 1900+05 N AQL 05.

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3. NEW POSSIBLE CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE IN NORMA.

   A new possible cataclysmic variable star has been reported by the ASAS-3
survey (IAUC 8539) and confirmed by Berto Monard (MLF). Astrometry by Monard 
based on UCAC2 give a location of:
            RA = 16:00:47.43  Dec.= -48:46:07.6  +/- 0.25"

   Available photometry from ASAS-3:

    Date (UT)
   Jun 04.316  invisible
   Jun 09.085  12.567
   Jun 09.235  12.660
   Jun 09.286  12.845
   Jun 09.288  12.818
   Jun 09.291  12.747
   Jun 09.293  12.834
   Jun 09.296  12.667
   Jun 09.321  12.806

   Monard reports: "Six hours of timeseries unfiltered photometry (until 
clouds came) showed an initial large hump in the light curve, which 
gradually was replaced by smaller humps and a general fading trend."

   CCD time series photometry is requested. Observe for as long as possible
during the night. We prefer the use of a V filter but unfiltered is acceptable
in this case if your system requires it to get an SNR of 100.

   We do not know what type of CV this is yet. In order to determine 
that we need really good coverage early on. Based on early data we can 
then make a call as to whether this new CV warrants a full-scale, intensive 
campaign. So please take data and upload them to the AAVSO ASAP, and post 
commentary to the AAVSO Photometry discussion group.

   An AAVSO chart with BV photometry from Tycho and V photometry from
ASAS-3 is available at this URL:
   http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=var%20nor%2005 [7]

   A web page for this object has been setup and will be updated as we get 
more data. It is at http://www.aavso.org/news/nor-cv.shtml [8] .

   Report this object as 1553-48 VAR NOR 05.

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4. REQUEST TO MONITOR THE CV SDSS J013132 FOR HST OBSERVATIONS

   Dr. Paula Szkody (University of Washington) has requested our help in
monitoring SDSS 013132 (Cet) for upcoming Hubble Space Telescope
observations. This is a similar campaign to the one recently run on SDSS
J2205 (CCD Views #336). ROTSE and PROMPT will also be helping us with the 
campaign.

   SDSS J013132 is at R.A. = 01:31:32  Dec. =  -09:01:24 (2000).

   This is a suspected UGWZ dwarf nova discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS) with a quiescent magnitude of around V=18. It has never been
observed in outburst and is not expected to be in outburst on this date.  
However, if it *is* in outburst then its brightness could damage the ACS
instrument on HST. As a result, the HST mission planners want to be
absolutely sure that SDSS J013132 is not in outburst immediately prior to the
scheduled observation.

   Note: This is a morning object and difficult to observe from northern
latitudes. We really need southern observers to help out!

   We are requesting V filtered observations of this field each morning 
from June 11-18th (UT). We are making an unusual request in that we are asking
for the FITS images themselves to be uploaded to the AAVSO's FTP site. So
please follow these procedures:

   1. Observe SDSS 013132 once daily on June 11-18 (UT). Set your
      exposure to go at least as faint as 15th mag for S/N=3.
   2. Submit your estimate to the AAVSO as "SDSS013132".
   3. Send the final, calibrated (stacked if neccessary) FITS image to the
      AAVSO via FTP:

          host: ftp.aavso.org
          user: sdss
          password: sdss

    ** IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND THE FITS IMAGE!! ** 
   We cannot forward your observation to the HST planning staff without a
FITS image associated with it. We recommend that you also submit a full AAVSO
observation on the object because that is the only way to ensure that we have
all the data the scientists may need (comp star, date (UT), etc.). We had a
number of observations made of SDSS J2205 that were not sent in the correct 
format or without uploaded FITS files.

   An f-scale chart is available at:
     http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=SDSS013132 [9]

   The AAVSO Chat Room will be open for the project.

   This is second of three objects in this program. An Alert Notice will be
sent when the last object has been added to the HST schedule. This campaign 
will likely begin June 20.

   Report this object as 0126-09 SDSS013132. 

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5. V2291 OPH ECLIPSE PEP CAMPAIGN   

  V2291 Oph is a Zeta Aur type eclipsing binary star with a period of 385 
days. The next predicted eclipse midpoint is July 11, 2005 (UT). The 
entire eclipse lasts about 8 days with the totality lasting four days. Eclipse 
amplitude is about 0.2 mag visually. 

  V2291 Oph is located at RA = 18:25:38.80 Dec. = +08:01:55.2.

  It is a bright star with a GCVS  magnitude of U=7.02. It is difficult to find 
suitable comparison stars in the field of view of the typical CCD. However, 
PEP observers are well suited for this project.

  We ask that PEP observers make at least one observation per night 
from July 4 - July 18 (UT) in B and V. 

  An AAVSO PEP chart has been released for V2291 Oph and can be downloaded
at this URL:
      http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=V2291%20OPH [10]

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6. TU CAS VISUAL + PEP + CCD CAMPAIGN

  The AAVSO would like to ask for observations of the cepheid variable TU Cas.
TU Cas is a rare double mode cepheid, which means multiple periods can be 
detected in its light curve. The AAVSO International Database has significant
observations of TU Cas. Very few other double cepheids are as well covered 
which makes continuing and extending the light curve even more important.

  TU Cas' amplitude is >1 magnitude, making it a possible target for 
experienced visual observers. Since it is bright, it is an ideal target for 
PEP observations. CCD data are also welcome, just be sure not to saturate 
on TU Cas. CCD and PEP observers should use BVRI filters and try to 
get one image per night. When time permits, time series runs with 
multifilter observation sets separated by 30 minutes would be useful.

  TU Cas is located at RA = 00:26:19.45  Dec. = +51:16:49.3.

  Latest visual observations of TU Cas:

  MAY 26.9181 8.1   PPZ         
  MAY 20.8882 7.8   KKX         
  MAY 15.8889 7.8   KKX

  PPZ  Piotr Plaszczyk  Poland
  KKX  Krzysztof Kida   Poland

  AAVSO PEP and CCD charts have been released and are available with the 
existing visual chart at this URL:
       http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=TU%20CAS [11]

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This Alert Notice was prepared by: A. Price. 
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SUBMIT OBSERVATIONS TO THE AAVSO

   We encourage observers to submit observations via our web site (online
data submission tool WebObs), or by email in AAVSO format to
observations@aavso.org. If you do not have AAVSO Observer Initials, please
fill out the following URL so we may assign them to you.

      http://www.aavso.org/observing/submit/apply.shtml

   The answering machine at AAVSO Headquarters is on nights and weekends;
use our charge-free number (888-802-STAR = 888-802-7827) to report your
observations, or report them via fax (617-354-0665).

ALERT NOTICE ARCHIVE AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

An Alert Notice archive is available at the following URL:
         http://www.aavso.org/publications/alerts/

Subscribing and Unsubscribing can be done at the following URL:
         http://www.aavso.org/publications/email/

Many thanks for your valuable astronomical contributions and your efforts.

Good observing!