[vsnet-alert 5848] (fwd) 3C279 rapidly fading

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

(fwd) 3C279 rapidly fading

Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 11:41:21 +0200
From: Massimo Villata <villata@to.astro.it>
Subject: 3C 279 update

Dear blazarists,

3C 279 has been seriously fading in the last three days:

April 23, 02.5 UT, R=13.61+/-0.05
April 23, 03.5 UT, R=13.56+/-0.05
April 24, 03.1 UT, R=13.93+/-0.05
April 26, 05.7 UT, R=14.37+/-0.05

from Tom Balonek (preliminary reduction);

April 24.91, R=14.23+/-0.04   from Filip Hrock.

Thus, 3C 279 has been showing a very rapid flare: 1.5 mag increase in 10
days (see http://blazar.colgate.edu/astronomy/quasaroptical.html) and an
equally sudden dimming of 0.8 mag in 3 days. Due to this strong
activity, I'd suggest all people having observing time to continue to
monitor it: the story could not be finished and new flares, maybe even
stronger, could follow the observed one.

Please, let me know on possible results.

Thanks very much, cheers,

massimo

VSNET Home Page

Return to Daisaku Nogami

---

vsnet-adm@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp