Special Notice #75: Monitoring of TT Ari in support of MOST observations

October 22, 2007: The Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) Satellite will conduct a targeted photometric observing campaign on the cataclysmic variable TT Ari, beginning 2007 October 23 UT (JD 2454397) and concluding on 2007 October 28 (JD 2454402). This observing program was proposed by a group of Austrian amateur astronomers who proposed to the "MOST fuer Alle" program of the University of Vienna, the Austrian partner project of the MOST collaboration's "My Own Space Telescope" program for Canadian observers. This observing proposal was competitively selected from several other proposed observing programs by the MOST time allocation committee.

Because MOST is in orbit, observations of the star will be continuous (barring unforseen interruption) throughout the five-day observing window. MOST observations use a broadband filter, and we primarily seek temporally coincident, filtered observations concurrent with the satellite observations to aid in the analysis and interpretation of the long-duration photometry. However, all observers are encouraged to observe and submit data, so that ground-based coverage is nearly continuous over the observing window.

TT Ari is currently in its bright state, at approximately m(vis) = 10.8, and should be within range of telescopic visual observers and all CCD observers. For those making CCD observations, high S/N data are requested, preferably with S/N > 50. Those those having the capability, please use V and/or Ic filters when observing; B and Rc are less important. Visual observers please observe TT Ari using your normal observing procedure. Please observe TT Ari beginning immediately, and continue for one week beyond the end of the observing program on 2007 October 28 (JD 2454402).

TT Ari (AAVSO designation 0201+14) is located at RA 02:06:53.10 , Dec +15:17:42.0 (J2000).

Charts for TT Ari are available from the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (VSP): http://www.aavso.org/observing/charts/vsp/index.html?pickname=TT%20Ari

Recent observations may be found at the following URL: http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/newql.pl?name=TT%20Ari&output=html

For more background on this proposal (in German), please visit: http://www.vulkanlandsternwarte.at/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=154&Itemid=2

For more information on the Canadian "My Own Space Telescope" and Austrian "MOST fuer Alle" Programs, visit: http://most.oracology.net/ and http://www.universum-im-koffer.at/

Please report all observations to the AAVSO as "TT ARI" (designation 0201+14)

This AAVSO Special Notice was prepared by Dr. Matthew Templeton.

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