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20% Discount on New Centennial Book (updated)
July 21 Update: The books are here! The AAVSO has 100 copies of the book that we are selling at the same Cambridge Press discounted rate of $80. So please order from the AAVSO store and help support the organization. We have the books in stock for immediate shipment.
But wait, there's more! If you add an order for one of our limited edition Centennial T-Shirts, we will take $15 off your total order at checkout.
JAAVSO vol. 39, nr. 1, is published
The Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (JAAVSO), Volume 39, Number 1, 2011, is now available for downloading and for hardcopy purchase.
AAVSO Eclipsing Binary Ephemeris for 2011 available
The 2011 AAVSO Eclipsing Binary Ephemeris, prepared by Gerry Samolyk, is now available online at
http://www.aavso.org/eclipsing-binary-ephemerides
Good observing!
Special Notice #243: Pre-SN 2011dh images of M51 requested
June 7, 2011: Iair Arcavi and Avishay Gal-Yam (on behalf of the Palomar Transient Factory) write:
Alert Notice 442: Nova Scorpii 2011 = PNV J16551100-3838120 [V1312 Sco]
June 3, 2011
Event: Nova Scorpii 2011 = PNV J16551100-3838120 [V1312 Sco]
Discovered by: John Seach, Chatsworth Island, NSW, Australia
Discovery Date: 2011 June 1.40 UT
Discovery Magnitude: magnitude 9.5 on three CCD images (limiting
mag 11.0) taken with a digital SLR camera (+ 50-mm f/1.2 lens
+ orange filter).
Coordinates: R.A. = 16:55:11, Decl. = -38:38:12 (equinox 2000.0)
Spectra: Three sets of spectra have been reported:
Special Notice #241: New Supernova in M51
June 3, 2010: A new supernova in M51 was discovered by A. Riou and confirmed by several sources, including the Palomar Transient Factory (Silverman et al., ATEL 3398). It is located at 13:30:05.08 +47:10:11.2 J2000 and has a magnitude of about 13.5. Nice images of the supernova can be found at: http://6888comete.free.fr/fr/imageSN.htm PTF also obtained a spectra from Keck, indicating that this is a type II supernova with a relatively blue continuum with P-Cygni profiles in the Balmer series.
Women in the Geosciences: Past, Present, and Future
The following announcement is made on behalf of long time AAVSO observer/member Dr. Kristine Larsen:
Special Notice #240: Possible Nova in Scorpius [V1312 Sco]
June 1, 2011: John Seach (Chatsworth Island, NSW, Australia) has identified a transient object on 3 images taken with a digital SLR camera. The coordinates are: RA 16 55 11 Dec -38 38 12 J2000 The discovery magnitude on June 1.40UT was 9.5 No object was seen on images taken the previous night, and no minor planet, comet or variable star is known at that position. He also does not see any DSS object at those coordinates. Confirmation of this object is requested.