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AAVSO ALERT NOTICE 310 (August 5, 2004)
SUBJECTS:
1. PROBABLE NOVA IN SCORPIUS: 1722-31 N SCO 04#2
2. REMINDER TO MONITOR 1931-46 QS TEL TO TRIGGER CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS
3. REMINDER TO MONITOR 0409-71 VW HYI IN SUPPORT OF FUSE OBSERVATIONS
4. OUTBURST OF 2328+48 Z ANDROMEDAE CONTINUES
1. PROBABLE NOVA IN SCORPIUS - 1722-31 N SCO 04#2
Event: Probable Nova
Announced in: IAU Circular 8380, 5 August 2004; additional information in IAU Circular 8381, 5 August 2004
Discovered by: Akira Takao, Kitakyushu, Japan (reported via H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, Japan, IAUC 8380)
Discovery Magnitude: magnitude 7.4 on unfiltered CCD images taken with 120-mm telephoto lens (IAUC 8380)
Discovery Date: August 3.583 UT (IAUC 8380)
Position (equinox 2000.0): R.A. = 17h 29m 18.81s, Decl. = -31o 46' 01.5" measured by K. Itagaki, Japan, on CCD image taken August 5.475 UT and reported by H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University (IAUC 8381).
Magnitude History (IAUC 8380):
- Takao: nothing visible at this location on images taken July 18.637 UT (limiting magnitude 11.9), July 30.569 (limiting mag 10.8).
- ASAS-3: nothing visible at this location on previous images through July 26.271 UT.
- William Liller, Vina del Mar, Chile: fainter than 11.0 on Tech Pan film (with orange filter) taken July 19.40 UT (IAU Circular 8381).
AAVSO Chart(s): 'd' scale chart soon to be available at http://www.aavso.org/cgi-bin/searchcharts3.pl?name=n%20sco%2004%232 [obsolete lnk; create charts using VSP at http://www.aavso.org/vsp ]
Report Object to the AAVSO as: 1722-31 N SCO 04#2
Additional Observations Reported to the AAVSO: Aug 2.0709 UT, 9.91 CCDV ASAS, A. Price, Watertown, MA; 5.475, 8.0 CCD (poor sky conditions), K. Itagaki, Japan (IAUC 8381); 5.790, 8.3 CCD-R (+/-~0.1), B. Monard, Pretoria, South Africa; 5.794, 9.8 CCD-V (+/-~0.1), Monard; 5.797, 11.1 CCD-B (+/-~0.1), Monard.
Spectra: Low-resolution spectrum taken August 5.49 UT by M. Fujii, Bisei, Okayama, Japan, suggests that the object is a classical nova (reported by H. Yamaoka in IAU Circular 8381).
Notes:
1. No known x-ray or bright infrared source at this location (IAUC 8380).
2. Itagaki's position closely matches that of a very red star with USNO-A2.0 position end figures 18.818s, 01.68" (blue mag 19.7, red mag 17.4) and with 2MASS position end figures 18.82s, 01.5" (J=14.4) (IAUC 8381).
3. For more information, see IAU Circulars 8380 and 8381, ed. D.W.E. Green.
Congratulations to Akira Takao on his discovery!
2. REMINDER TO MONITOR 1931-46 QS TEL TO TRIGGER CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS
As was announced in CCD Views #316 and AAVSO Alert Notice 302, Dr. Christopher Mauche, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has requested our assistance in monitoring QS Tel for triggering of observations with the Low Energy Transmission Grating on the Chandra satellite.
QS Tel may be brightening, according to recent CCD and visual observations received from Berto Monard, Pretoria, South Africa: July 08.0330 UT, 16.5 CR; 11.7550, 16.4; 28.8380, 15.6 CR; 30.9930, 15.7 CR. Observations in the AAVSO International Database show QS Tel as faint as 17.94 CCDV in March 2004 and brightening to 15.87 CCDV on April 27 before fading to ~17.2 and gradually brightening to 16.89 CCDV on June 11. Berto's observations show this brightening appears to be continuing.
More observations are needed to confirm this activity, in order to decide whether and when to trigger the Chandra observations. According to Dr. Mauche, snapshot photometry (once per night per observer) is needed most critically, although it will be helpful to obtain occasional (~once per week) timeseries photometry for one or two times the length of the source's 2 hr 20 min orbital period if QS Tel reaches V=15.5 or brighter. Ongoing _positive_ visual observations are also needed to continue to determine the brightness of QS Tel, but QS Tel will be too faint (~15.2-17.4V) for most visual observers.
Despite being somewhat faint in the optical, QS Tel is the third brightest member of the enigmatic AM Her class in soft X-rays.
Hardly anything was known about the optical behavior of QS Tel when Dr. Mauche's campaign was announced in September 2003. We thank our observers who have been monitoring QS Tel since then to establish its light curve, Bernard Heathcote (HBD), Peter Nelson (NLX), Berto Monard (MLF), Thomas Richards (RIX), David Higgins (HDJ), and Bruce Gary (GBL).
For more information on QS Tel and this observing campaign please see CCD Views #316 and AAVSO Alert Notice 302.
3. REMINDER TO MONITOR 0409-71 VW HYI IN SUPPORT OF FUSE OBSERVATIONS
Throughout the month of August, target-of-opportunity observations of the cataclysmic variable VW Hyi are being made with the FUSE satellite on behalf of Dr. Knox Long, Space Telescope Science Institute, and colleagues. This observing campaign has been described most recently in AAVSO Alert Notice 309.
Close optical coverage - one observation each night if possible, more frequent observations when the star is rising to maximum - is essential to correlate the FUSE observations. For observers with far-southern horizons, please continue to observe VW Hyi every clear night through mid-September and report your observations to AAVSO Headquarters. Also, please notify Headquarters immediately when you see VW Hyi going into outburst. Thanks to our southern-hemisphere observers struggling through miserable weather to make these vital observations!
4. OUTBURST OF 2328+48 Z ANDROMEDAE CONTINUES
The symbiotic star prototype 2328+48 Z And continues to brighten (see AAVSO Alert Notice 309, as shown by the following observations recently submitted to the AAVSO: July 27.0597 UT, 9.6, H. Hautecler, Boutersem, Belgium; 27.8444, 9.4, W. Kriebel, Osterwaal, Germany; 27.8785, 9.2, J. Van Der Looy, Balen, Belgium; 27.8903, 9.3, D. Naillon, Lihons, France; 27.9063, 9.5, J. Ripero, Madrid, Spain; 27.9063, 9.5, Ripero; 27.9465, 9.3, D. Augart, Weisenheim am Berg, Germany; 28.8563, 9.5, Kriebel; 28.8681, 9.3, Van Der Looy; 28.9, 9.6, F. Vohla, Altenburg, Germany; 28.9194, 9.4, E. Muyllaert, Oostende, Belgium; 28.9243, 9.7, A. Diepvens, Olmen-Balen, Belgium; 28.9604, 9.3, Augart; 28.9861, 9.5, Hautecler; 29.8625, 9.5, Kriebel; 29.8861, 9.4, Van Der Looy; 29.9, 9.6, Vohla; 29.9076, 9.7, Diepvens; 30.8903, 9.5, Van Der Looy; 30.9681, 9.4, Muyllaert; 30.979, 9.4, G. Poyner, Birmingham, England; 30.9861, 9.5, S. Swierczynski, Dobczyce, Poland; 31.8778, 9.5, Naillon; 31.2403, 9.5, M. Komorous, London, Ontario, Canada; August 01.9160, 9.3, Naillon; 01.9174, 9.4, Muyllaert; 02.8278, 9.4, A. Sonka, Bucharest, Romania; 02.9458, 9.4, Muyllaert; 03.8313, 9.4, Kriebel; 04.2723, 9.18 CCD, M. Koppelman, Golden Valley, MN; 04.3299, 9.3, M. Simonsen, Imlay City, MI.
Please continue to follow Z And through its outburst and report your observations to AAVSO Headquarters.
SUBMIT OBSERVATIONS TO THE AAVSO
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Many thanks for your valuable astronomical contributions and your efforts.
Good observing!
Elizabeth O. Waagen
Interim Director
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