THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS

                 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

                                  BULLETIN 71

     Predicted Dates of Maxima and Minima of Long Period Variables for 2008

                ELIZABETH O. WAAGEN, Senior Technical Assistant

Predicted dates for 2008 of maxima and minima of 562 long period and
semiregular variables are given in this Bulletin. These dates have been
determined using the AAVSO mean curves.  As a convenience to the observer,
approximate dates of maxima and minima for January and February of 2009 are
also given.  These dates are preliminary and are subject to change when the
official predictions for 2009 are published.  This Bulletin may also be found
on the AAVSO web site page http://www.aavso.org/publications/bulletin.

An asterisk (*) preceding the designation indicates a star does not have a
mean curve, thus predictions of their maxima and minima are questioned.  Also
questioned are maxima and minima of those stars not behaving predictably.

RANGE VALUES ARE ALL VISUAL.  Range values given within the symbols
"< >" are average maximum and minimum visual magnitudes and are taken from the
third edition of the General Catalogue of Variable Stars and its Supplements.
Range values given without "< >" symbols are mean visual magnitudes of the
brightest maximum and faintest minimum obtained from the data in the AAVSO
International Database since 1961; these values may change as comparison star
sequences on preliminary charts for many of these stars are made final.  THE
VALUES OF MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CYCLE MAY BE MUCH BRIGHTER OR
FAINTER THAN THE RANGE VALUES GIVEN IN THE BULLETIN.

In the monthly grids, the letter "M" indicates a predicted maximum; the letter
"m" indicates a predicted minimum.  The number preceding the letter "M" or "m"
indicates the predicted date of maximum or minimum for each star.  The "+"
symbols on either side of the "M" or "m" show the estimated intervals during
which the star will be brighter than visual magnitude 11.0, according to
information supplied in AAVSO Bulletin 27.  Also, the "-" symbols on either
side of the "m" show the estimated interval during which the star will be
fainter than visual magnitude 13.5, again according to AAVSO Bulletin 27.

My sincere thanks go to Katherine L. Davis, who wrote software to allow the
fitting of mean curves on-screen and automatic digitization of extrema dates
for all Bulletin stars, and who placed the Bulletin on the AAVSO web site.
I also thank and Charles M. Jones and Grant Foster, who wrote the software
to produce the Bulletin itself.

The observations for this Bulletin are the contributions of AAVSO members and
observers in the United States and abroad.  Contributions have also been made
by members of the following Variable Star Associations:  Agrupacion Astronomica
de Sabadell(Spain); Asociacion de Variabilistas de Espagne (Spain); Asociacion
Argentina Amigos de la Astronomia; Association Francaise des Observateurs
d'Etoiles Variables (France); Association of Variable Star Observers "Pleione"
(Russia); Astronomical Society of South Australia;  Astronomical Society of
Southern Africa, Variable Star Section; Astronomischer Jugendclub (Austria);
Astronomisk Selskab (Scandinavia); Brazilian Observational Network REA; British
Astronomical Association, Variable Star Section (England); Bundesdeutsche
Arbeitsgemeinschaft fuer Veraenderliche Sterne e.V. (BAV) (Germany); Israeli
Astronomical Association, Variable Star Section; Koninklijke Nederlandse
Vereniging Voor Weeren Sterrenkunde, Werkgroep Veranderlijke Sterren
(Netherlands); Liga Ibero-Americana de Astronomia (South America); Madrid
Astronomical Association M1 (Spain); Magyar Csillagaszati Egyesulet,
Valtozocsillag Szakcsoport (Hungary); Norsk Astronomisk Selskap, Variable
Stjernegruppen (Norway); Planetario e Observatorio Astronomico do Colegio
Estadual do Parana (Brazil); Red de Observatores de Estrellas
Variables - MIRA (Spain); Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; Royal
Astronomical Society of New Zealand, Variable Star Section; Ukraine
Astronomical Group, Variable Star Section; Uniao Brasileira de Astronomia,
Variable Star Commission (Brazil); Unione Astrofili Italiani (Italy); URSA
Astronomical Association, Variable Star Section (Finland); Variable Star
Observers League in Japan; Vereniging Voor Sterrenkunde, Werkgroep
Veranderlijke Sterren (Belgium).

We gratefully acknowledge the astronomical contribution of each observer.