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            THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS            
                 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
                 Tel. 617-354-0484       Fax 617-354-0665
                          http://www.aavso.org
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                             C C D   V I E W S   #321
                            --------------------------
                                 June 30, 2004

 THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION OF CCD VIEWS.
             
 Table of Contents
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 1. Var Her 04 - Rapid Dimming Begins - BVR Photometry needed

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 1. UPDATE ON VAR HER 04 & REQUEST FOR BVR OBSERVATIONS

 Var Her 04 appears to have begun a decline in brightness according 
to these observations:

  CCD   14.26 02:45 June 30UT  MTM - Mike Mattei, USA
  CCDR  14.1  03:45 June 30UT  KMP - Michael Koppelman, USA
  CCDR  14.3 ~03:59 June 30UT  GBL - Bruce Gary, USA 
  CCDV  14.6 ~03:59 June 30UT  GBL - Bruce Gary, USA 

 If this is indeed a UGWZ object then a decline would be expected about
now. The decline may be as much as 2.5 magnitudes over less than a day.  
Then 4-5 days later it may rebrighten just as quickly. Following that many
echo outbursts of similar amplitude and length may occur.  The first echo
outburst tends to be the most extreme. These echo outbursts are poorly
understood and not well covered due to the infrequent nature of UGWZ
outbursts (on the order of decades).  The analysis of superhumps during
these echo outbursts is considered a key to understanding them and perhaps
to understanding the long outburst interval of UGWZ stars.

  Good photometry of all phases of the decline and rebrightening is
needed. If your system cannot get good quality filtered data that faint
then go unfiltered. But if you can do it, please use a BRV filter (listed
in order of preference). High time resolution is not a requirement so feel
free to take long exposures and stack images to maximise SNR and mitigate
effects of a bright Moon.

  Throughout this outburst updates have been posted to the
AAVSO-photometry discussion group and light curves and early analysis
placed online at the URL below. Archives of the discussion group posts can
also be found at the URL. Please go here to stay up on the latest from
this new object:
            http://www.aavso.org/news/her04.shtml

 F-scale charts with BVR field calibration were placed online today at:
   http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=var%20her%2004
 
 Good luck!
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 Good observing!

 Aaron Price, AAVSO Technical Assistant (PAH)
 Gary Walker, Chairman of the AAVSO CCD Committee (WGR)

Copyright 2004, American Association of Variable Star Observers
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           THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
                25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
                Tel. 617-354-0484       Fax 617-354-0665
                         http://www.aavso.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------