AAVSO: AAVSO Alert Notice 308

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
INTERNET: aavso@aavso.org
Tel. 617-354-0484 Fax 617-354-0665
AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 308 (July 17, 2004)

AAVSO member and observer Rod Stubbings, Drouin, Victoria, Australia, has reported that the SU UMa-type cataclysmic variable VW Hyi is in outburst, as shown by his observations below. This outburst may be the superoutburst we have been waiting for, in our program to assist Dr. Knox Long and colleagues in planning their target-of-opportunity (TOO) observations with FUSE on this star. Please remember, however, that it is actually one of the outbursts after the superoutburst that will be used to trigger the TOO observations of VW Hyi.

Alert Notices 305 and 306 (please see for details) announced and discussed the request for optical monitoring of VW Hyi by Dr. Long. If the current outburst is a superoutburst, it is quite likely that the next outburst (a normal one) will occur early enough in the August FUSE observing window so the TOO observations can be triggered. The satellite needs time to monitor VW Hyi after it returns to minimum, so the placement of the outburst is critical.

As mentioned in Alert Notices 305 and 306, your observations of VW Hyi and your immediate notification of AAVSO Headquarters of an outburst are essential to the success of this observing program, and your observations to date have been of enormous value. Please continue to monitor VW Hyi closely and report your observations to AAVSO Headquarters. AAVSO 'b' and 'd' scale charts are available online or on request to AAVSO Headquarters.

Observations Reported to the AAVSO: Jul 1.3710 UT, <12.2, R. Stubbings, Drouin, Victoria, Australia; 4.3490, 14.1, Stubbings; 6.3610,<12.4, Stubbings; 15.5670, 14.1, Stubbings; 17.5380, 9.2, Stubbings; 17.5670, 9.0, Stubbings.

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 contact Headquarters so we may assign them to you. 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).