Note: Edited November 20, 2018, to clarify the links to the forum threads for this campaign. - E. Waagen
November 7, 2018: Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 654, the date and time of the Chandra observations of the T Tauri stars XZ Tau and HL Tau scheduled for 2018 November 15 have been revised to November 11 and 12.
Dr. David Principe (MIT) informs us that Chandra is now scheduled to observe the targets on:
Note: Text revised October 30 to include date and time on which the predicted eclipse window is centered. It was further revised November 2 to correct the SAO number of b Per and to correct the position of the check star. - E. O. Waagen
Note: The November 15 observation with Chandra has been rescheduled to 2018 Nov. 11 17:37 - Nov. 12 00:01 UT and 2018 Nov. 12 08:01 - Nov. 12 14:27 UT. Please seeAAVSO Alert Notice 656 for details. - Elizabeth O. Waagen
October 11, 2018: Dr. Koji Mukai (NASA-Greenbelt Space Flight Center) has requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring several nova-like variables in support of upcoming Chandra observations. The first target, KQ Mon, is scheduled to be observed with Chandra during the week of 2018 October 15-22.
September 27, 2018: Dr. Ed Sion (Villanova University) requests AAVSO observers' assistance in monitoring the recurrent nova T Pyx, beginning immediately, in support of upcoming HST observations.
The HST COS observations have been scheduled to take place during the window of 2018 October 4 - 6. It is essential to know the status of T Pyx in order for the HST team to safeguard the instrumentation and make a final decision about approving the COS observations.
August 24, 2018: The old nova GK Per (N Per 1901), which has dwarf nova (minor) outbursts, appears to be going into outburst, according to observations reported to the AAVSO. Recent observations include:
Event: ASASSN-V J195442.95+172212.6 (TCP J19544251+1722281 = Vend47), originally classified as a semiregular variable, has been reclassified as a symbiotic variable as a result of its being discovered in outburst by Robert Fidrich during the course of his "Vendégcsillag-kereső" (Guest Star Hunter) nova patrol program. Subsequent spectroscopy confirmed the nature of the object as a symbiotic variable.
Event: Nova in Ophiuchus - N Oph 2018 No. 3 = PNV J17422408-2053088
Discovered by: C. Jacques, J. Barros, E. Pimentel, and P. Holvorcem, on behalf of the Brazilian Transient Search - BraTS (at SONEAR Observatory, Oliveira, Brazil); via TOCP
Discovery magnitude: unfiltered CCD magnitude 11.1 (on three frames, 10-sec exposure, using an astrograph 11" f/2.2 + CCD camera)
