THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Tel. 617-354-0484 Fax 617-354-0665 INTERNET: aavso@aavso.org * * * AAVSO NEWS FLASH * * * Subject: V4334 Sgr, FS Aur, CR Boo, HL CMa, V442 Cen, No. 264 V854 Cen, V516 Cyg, CY Lyr, MV Lyr, TZ Per, February 23, 1998 UY Pup, VZ Pyx, ER UMa, TW Vir ________________________________________________________________________________ V4334 SAGITTARII (SAKURAI'S OBJECT) According to IAUC 6825 - W. Liller (Instituto Isaac Newton), M. Janson (Groningen University), H. W. Duerbeck (Muenster University), and A. van Genderen (Leiden University) report that V4334 Sgr has faded by almost 2 magnitudes since November 1997. Multicolor observations also indicate that the star has become redder in the last 5 months. According to the AAVSO International Database V4334 Sgr was around visual magnitude 11.0 between February and November 1997. We have not received any observations of this star since November 1997. We encourage our observers, particularly CCD observers with multicolor filters, to make observations of this star. An AAVSO chart for this star can be downloaded from our ftp site at the following address: ftp.aavso.org (198.116.78.2) in /pub/charts/sgr/var_96_sgr/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- FS AURIGAE The dwarf nova type cataclysmic variable FS Aur appears to be in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials FEB 17.897 <15.0 PYG FEB 21.944 14.5 PYG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CR BOOTIS The magnetic variable CR Boo appears to be brightening, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 04.226 14.6 PYG FEB 22.146 14.0 PYG FEB 10.4792 <14.1 HSG FEB 22.167 13.8 PYG FEB 12.4694 <14.1 HSG FEB 22.188 13.7 PYG FEB 22.104 13.9 PYG FEB 22.210 13.8 PYG FEB 22.125 13.8 PYG FEB 22.236 13.7 PYG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HL CANIS MAJORIS The dwarf nova type (Z Cam subclass) cataclysmic variable HL CMa is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 21.4563 <14.0 SRX FEB 22.927 12.1 PYG FEB 21.935 <14.1 PYG FEB 23.0181 10.4 DPL FEB 22.0729 13.6 BRJ FEB 23.0903 11.7 BRJ FEB 22.090 13.7 OCN FEB 23.147 11.7 OCN FEB 22.4563 11.9 SRX FEB 23.4639 11.4 SRX FEB 22.6236 11.8 SRX ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- V442 CENTAURI The dwarf nova type (SS Cyg subclass) cataclysmic variable V442 Cen is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 21.4944 <14.4 SRX FEB 22.6313 12.8 SRX FEB 21.8 <13.2 OB FEB 22.793 12.5 OB FEB 22.4819 13.0 SRX FEB 23.5090 12.8 SRX ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- V854 CENTAURI The R CrB type variable V854 Cen appears to be fading, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 04.6729 7.6 FMX FEB 23.6264 8.7 FMX FEB 21.9 8.4 MLF FEB 23.6521 8.8 FMX FEB 23.5688 8.5 SRX FEB 23.6660 8.7 FMX ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- V516 CYGNI The dwarf nova type (SS Cyg subclass) cataclysmic variable V516 Cyg appears to be in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials JAN 25.0986 15.4: HSG JAN 26.1181 <14.2 HSG FEB 22.206 14.0 PYG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CY LYRAE The dwarf nova type cataclysmic variable CY Lyr appears to be in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials FEB 16.4120 16.35 CCDV ZRE FEB 22.194 13.0 PYG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MV LYRAE The nova-like variable MV Lyr appears to be fading, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials JAN 25.5347 13.8 HSG FEB 22.160 15.6 PYG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TZ PERSEI The dwarf nova type (Z Cam subclass) cataclysmic variable TZ Per is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 17.1292 14.8: HSG FEB 22.0715 12.7 MKJ FEB 17.817 14.3 PYG FEB 22.849 12.8 PYG FEB 19.8 14.0 VET FEB 23.0424 13.1 MKJ FEB 21.924 12.6 PYG FEB 23.115 12.8 OCN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UY PUPPIS The dwarf nova type cataclysmic variable UY Pup is in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 21.4556 15.3 SRX FEB 22.741 13.5 OB FEB 21.75 <13.6 OB FEB 23.4986 13.6 SRX FEB 22.4576 13.6 SRX ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- VZ PYXIDIS The dwarf nova type (SU UMa subclass) cataclysmic variable VZ Pyx has had an outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials FEB 19.5118 15.0 SRX FEB 22.025 13.0 MLF FEB 19.75 <13.8 MLF FEB 22.4569 13.4 SRX FEB 21.4799 13.0 SRX FEB 22.6625 14.0 SRX FEB 21.774 13.4 MLF FEB 23.4479 15.0 SRX FEB 21.918 13.0 MLF ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ER URSAE MAJORIS The dwarf nova type (SU UMa subclass) cataclysmic variable ER UMa appears to be in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials FEB 13.879 <14.7 PYG FEB 17.844 14.4 PYG FEB 21.982 13.0 PYG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TW VIRGINIS The dwarf nova type cataclysmic variable TW Vir appears to be in outburst, as indicated by the following observations: AAVSO Observer UT Mag. Initials FEB 21.5007 <14.3 SRX FEB 22.6000 14.3 SRX FEB 23.5194 13.7 SRX ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We thank the following contributors for the data that they have provided for this News Flash: BRJ - J. Bortle, USA OB - D. Overbeek, South Africa DPL - P. Dombrowski, USA OCN - S. O'Connor, Canada FMX - F. Farrell, Australia PYG - G. Poyner, England HSG - G. Hanson, USA SRX - R. Stubbings, Australia MKJ - J. McKenna, USA VET - M. Verdenet, France MLF - B. Monard, South Africa ZRE - R. Zissell, USA Please monitor these and other variable stars closely and phone-in, fax, or e-mail your observations to the AAVSO. Good observing! Janet A. Mattei ________________________________________________________________________________ Symbols may include: < = fainter than magnitude given (variable not seen) : = uncertain CCDV = Charge-coupled device with (V) filter If you would like to contribute to AAVSO NEWS FLASH, please send observations of unusual variable star activity to: observations@aavso.org Those who wish to subscribe (free of charge) or unsubscribe to NEWS FLASH may do so by sending a message to: observations@aavso.org If you would like data from the AAVSO International Database for research purposes, please send your request to: Janet Mattei, AAVSO Director, at aavso@aavso.org We look forward to including your observations in future editions of AAVSO NEWS FLASH! ______________________________________________________________________________