WZ Sge outburst update

WZ Sge Outburst Update

This page is referenced in AAVSO Alert Notices 287 and 288.

Note (12/27/2013): This page was created in 2001, and some of the links shown are obsolete and no longer exist. Where possible, links have been updated and/or modern equivalents substituted.

AAVSO Composite Light Curve of the 1978/2001 Outbursts:

composite image
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AAVSO Composite Light Curve of the 1978/2001 Outbursts (updated 10/15/2001)

Light Curve of the 2001 Outburst:

2001 curve
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AAVSO Light Curve of the 2001 Outburst (updated 11/19/2001)

Light Curve of the 1978 Outburst:

1978 curve
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AAVSO Light Curve of the 1978 Outburst (updated 11/11/2001)

WZ Sge Outbursts:

superhumps
Photometry on September 25, 2001 by AAVSO observer Keith Graham (GKA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on September 24, 2001 by AAVSO observer Harri T. Hyvonen (HHT). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on September 20, 2001 by AAVSO observer Keith Graham (GKA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on September 17, 2001 by AAVSO observer Arto Oksanen (OAR). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 29, 2001 by AAVSO observer Lew Cook (COO). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 25, 2001 by AAVSO observer Keith Graham (GKA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 19-20, 2001 by AAVSO observer Arto Oksanen (OAR). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 19, 2001 by AAVSO observer Lew Cook (COO). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 18-19, 2001 by AAVSO observer Marko Moilanen (MMF). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 15, 2001 by AAVSO observer Arto Oksanen (OAR). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 14, 2001 by AAVSO observer Donn Starkey (SDB). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.
superhumps
Photometry on August 10, 2001 by AAVSO observer Ron Zissell (ZRE). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.
superhumps
Photometry on August 5, 2001 by AAVSO observer Chuck Pullen (PCH). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.
superhumps
Photometry on August 5, 2001 by AAVSO observer Lew Cook (COO). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.
superhumps
Photometry on July 31, 2001 by AAVSO observer Orhan Golbasi (GOH), Credit: Tübitak Ulusal Gözlemevi (TUG). Top curve is CCDR observations and bottom curve is CCDV observations. Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.
superhumps
Photometry on July 30, 2001 by AAVSO observer Dan Kaiser (KDA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.

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Outbursts of 1913, 1946, 1978.

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1978 Outburst

WZ Sge Spectrum by J. Doug West

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Spectrum of WZ Sge

Description of the WZ Sge Spectrum

The spectrum of WZ Sge was taken on 7/24/01 3:11 UT by Doug West in Mulvane, Kansas. The equipment used was a Meade LX200 10" SCT operating at f/5 with a ST-8 CCD camera. The non-objective spectrometer is formed when the Rainbow Optics grating is placed in front of the CCD surface. The image exposure time was 60 seconds. The resulting spectrometer has a resolution of approximately 70 Angstrom. The flux is calibrated relative to Vega. The "+C" term following the flux refers to the fact that the spectrum has not been corrected for air mass. Therefore, there will be a constant offset (usually small) in flux. The wavelength accuracy is approximately 25 Angstrom.

The low resolution spectrum clearly shows the Hydrogen alpha, beta, gamma, and delta absorption bands. The flatting of the spectrum at wavelengths beyond 7200 Angstrom is probably due to the cooler companion star. The signal-to-noise ratio it greater than 10 for all wavelengths greater than 4200 Angstrom. Additional study will be required to extract all the information contained in the spectrum.

* The high speed photometry data is plotted accurately in terms of timing, however, the labelling of the x-axis is only to the 10th of a decimal of JD.