[vsnet-alert 513] BE Oct (possible SU-UMa star) in superoutburst

[Jonathan Kemp <jonathan@astro.columbia.edu>]

                    BE Octantis, Coming Out of the Dark

Photometry of BE Octantis from Cerro Tololo on 16-18 August reveals that
this star is in superoutburst.  Preliminary measurements on 16 August
found the star to be at V = 15.94 (the GCVS lists 15.4 as the known
maximum).  This very poorly studied star, thought to be of the SU-UMa
variety, is exhibiting superhump phenomena.  Time series on 17-18 August
covering 13.5 hr over a 27.5 hr span reveal 0.23 mag superhumps at a
period of 111.05 +/- 0.19 min. 

As our CTIO observing run comes to a close soon, our BE Oct vigil will be
prematurely ended.  We welcome anyone to join our unprecedented campaign
on this introverted little star.  Amateurs in the Southern Hemisphere with
reasonably-sized telescopes and CCDs should be able to help contribute to
the cause.  Discovery of recurrence periods for both normal and super
maxima would be of significant interest.

UT Date          V mag        UT Date      avg "blue" mag
August 16.403    15.94        August 17             16.00
August 17.271    15.86        August 18             16.08
August 18.031    15.97
August 18.416    16.00

BE Oct (from Downes and Shara, 1993 February, PASP, 105, 127)
00 00 49.13  (2000)  -77 18 57.6  (including finding chart)

Jonathan Kemp and Joe Patterson
Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA) and Columbia University
jonathan@tristram.phys.columbia.edu, jop@tristram.phys.columbia.edu

VSNET Home Page

Return to Daisaku Nogami

---

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