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.

• The AAVSO charts for WZ Sge have been updated to show the close 139 companion star, a 'g' scale chart for WZ Sge is now available, and the Precision Photometry for the Comparison Stars in the Field of WZ Sge page has been updated [separate page no longer exists; photometry is obtained via VSP]. - (8/24/01)
• AAVSO Composite Light Curve of the 1978/2001 Outbursts - (10/15/01)
• AAVSO Light Curve of the 2001 Outburst - (11/19/01)
• AAVSO Light Curve of the 1978 Outburst - (11/11/01)
• Light Curves - Generated from the AAVSO Light Curve Generator
• Request from Dr. T. Marsh - (8/15/01)
• Photometry by Keith Graham - (9/25/01)
• Photometry by Harri T. Hyvonen - (9/24/01)
• Photometry by Keith Graham - (9/20/01)
• Photometry by Arto Oksanen - (9/17/01)
• Photometry by Lew Cook - (8/29/01)
• Photometry by Keith Graham - (8/25/01)
• Photometry by Arto Oksanen - (8/19/01)
• Photometry by Lew Cook - (8/19/01)
• Photometry by Marko Moilanen - (8/18/01)
• Photometry by Arto Oksanen - (8/15/01)
• Photometry by Donn Starkey - (8/14/01)
• Photometry by Ron Zissell - (8/10/01)
• Photometry by Lew Cook - (8/05/01)
• Photometry by Chuck Pullen - (8/05/01)
• Photometry by Orhan Golbasi - (07/31/01)
• Photometry by Dan Kaiser - (07/30/01)
• Photometry by Gianluca Masi      obsolete link - no longer available
• WZ Sge web page by Danny Steeghs - Listing worldwide campaigns on WZ Sge.
• Link to Peter Wheatley's page - Chandra spectroscopy reveals the X-ray emission line spectrum (July 27, 2001)
• Outbursts of 1913, 1946, 1978
• Outburst of 1978
  
• Spectrum by Doug West
  
• News Flash #831       obsolete link - no longer available
• News Flash #822      obsolete link - no longer available
• News Flash #820      obsolete link - no longer available
• News Flash #819      obsolete link - no longer available
• Alert Notice 286
• Alert Notice 25 - December 1, 1978    [link not available 12/27/2013 but is in progress]
  
• AAVSO charts for WZ Sge are now available
• Precision Photometry for Comparison Stars in the Field of WZ Sge
• Search the AAVSO Quick Look data for the most recent WZ Sge observations

AAVSO Composite Light Curve of the 1978/2001 Outbursts:

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

Light Curve of the 2001 Outburst:

Click image to enlarge AAVSO Light Curve of the 2001 Outburst (updated 11/19/2001)

Light Curve of the 1978 Outburst:

Click image to enlarge AAVSO Light Curve of the 1978 Outburst (updated 11/11/2001)

WZ Sge Outbursts:

Photometry on September 25, 2001 by AAVSO observer Keith Graham (GKA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on September 24, 2001 by AAVSO observer Harri T. Hyvonen (HHT). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on September 20, 2001 by AAVSO observer Keith Graham (GKA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on September 17, 2001 by AAVSO observer Arto Oksanen (OAR). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 29, 2001 by AAVSO observer Lew Cook (COO). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 25, 2001 by AAVSO observer Keith Graham (GKA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 19-20, 2001 by AAVSO observer Arto Oksanen (OAR). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 19, 2001 by AAVSO observer Lew Cook (COO). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 18-19, 2001 by AAVSO observer Marko Moilanen (MMF). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 15, 2001 by AAVSO observer Arto Oksanen (OAR). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 14, 2001 by AAVSO observer Donn Starkey (SDB). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator *.

Photometry on August 10, 2001 by AAVSO observer Ron Zissell (ZRE). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.

Photometry on August 5, 2001 by AAVSO observer Chuck Pullen (PCH). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.

Photometry on August 5, 2001 by AAVSO observer Lew Cook (COO). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.

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*.

Photometry on July 30, 2001 by AAVSO observer Dan Kaiser (KDA). Light curve generated by the AAVSO Light Curve Generator*.

WZ Sge Spectrum by J. Doug West

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.