/vspTHE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS
25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
INTERNET: aavso@aavso.org
Tel. 617-354-0484 FAX 617-354-0665
AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 232 (November 18, 1996)
EXTREME FAINTNESS AND UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR OF 0058+40 RX ANDROMEDAE
The dwarf nova (Z Cam subclass) cataclysmic variable RX And [R.A. 01h 01m 46s,
Decl. +41 degrees 01.9' (1950)] is undergoing a period of unprecedented
faintness, according to observations dating back to September 1922 in the AAVSO
International Database. Its present visual magnitude is approximately 15.4.
RX And was in standstill at magnitude 11.4 from May 1995 and, starting at the
beginning of April 1996, declined gradually while still in standstill to 11.8
by early August, then came out of standstill on August 15, declining to 13.9 by
August 26, brightening to 12.2 by August 31, and then continuing to decline,
reaching an unprecedented visual magnitude of approximately 15.6 by October 28.
Since then it has continued to be faint, oscillating between approximately 15.6
and 15.3.
The accompanying AAVSO light curve of RX And for the interval JD 2450270 -
2450420 (December 1994 - December 2, 1996) shows RX And in standstill in April
1996, and then in its present faint state. This light curve of RX And was
created from 546 visual and CCD observations submitted to the AAVSO
International Database by 68 observers worldwide. We thank each observer for
his or her valuable contribution.
The comparison star sequence on the AAVSO RX And charts has been extended by R.
Zissell, South Hadley, MA, who carried out extensive CCD(V) photometry on the
field. Accompanying are a revised standard "d" scale and preliminary "e" and
"f" scale charts of RX And including this extended sequence and prepared by C.
Scovil. Please use these charts to observe RX And and report your observations
to AAVSO Headquarters by email, fax, or telephone, making sure to indicate
which comparison stars you have used.
CHARTS AND LIGHT CURVE AVAILABLE ON AAVSO FTP SITE
Chart links are obsolete; 11/2013 create charts using VSP at http://www.aavso.org/vsp
Electronic copies of the revised and new AAVSO charts of RX And and the light
curve of RX And mentioned in this Alert Notice are available from our FTP site:
ftp.aavso.org (198.116.78.2), in /pub/alert232
The charts and light curve may also be accessed through our Web site at the
following address:
http://www.aavso.org
The answering machine at AAVSO Headquarters is on nights and weekends for your
convenience. Please call our charge-free number (800-642-3883) to report your
observations. If you are cut off when you telephone in your observations,
please wait a few minutes and call back to complete your call. We have learned
that if someone calls to leave observations on the answering machine and while
they are speaking someone else calls, the first person may be cut off. We
also encourage observers to send observations by fax to 617-354-0665 or by
e-mail through the Internet to observations@aavso.org. We would appreciate it
very much if you would report your observations in Universal Time.
Many thanks for your valuable astronomical contributions and your efforts.
Good observing!
Janet A. Mattei
Director
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