[vsnet-alert 100] Upcoming dust phase in Nova Aql 1995?

[bas@lowell.edu (Brian Skiff)]

VSnet folks,
     On IAUC 6154, issued 3 April 1995, astronomers from the University of
Minnesota (C. G. Mason, R. D. Gehrz) and the University of Wyoming (C. E.
Woodward) report infrared photometry of Nova Aquilae 1995.  They note that 
the infrared colors are indicative of recent dust formation in the nova 
shell, and encourage close monitoring of the event from visual observers "as 
it may be expected that the dust will cause a DQ Her-type transition in the 
light curve."  This means the object will practically drop out of sight 
rather suddenly and then recover brightness some weeks later as the dust 
shell thins out as it expands.  The declining phase of such transitions occurs
in the space of a day or two, and thus bears close watching.
     I have begun working on a photometric sequence around the nova, but it
will be two or three more (clear) nights before it is completed.  The sequence
will not extend past mag. 13 in any case, so additional work on fainter stars
is necessary.  Three mag. 6 to 8 stars in the field are well-observed 
photoelectrically, and can serve as local standards for CCD observations.
\Brian

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