*** News from VSNET *** The humps and eclipses of WZ Sge are still very variable with time in the recent late phase. For more detail information about these objects, see below, "VSNET Weekly Campaign Summary" of the last week. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- VSNET (Variable Star Network) is an international variable star observing network, covering various areas of novae, supernovae, cataclysmic variables (CVs), X-ray transients, and other classical eruptive, pulsating, and eclipsing variables. VSNET is one of invited contributing organizations to the SkyPub AstroAlert system. The "News from VSNET", mainly focusing on recent remarkable activities of CVs and related systems, is issued on a weekly basis, except on occasions of extremely urgent or transient events. Please refer to the VSNET Home Page for more details of events and objects listed. VSNET Home Page: http://vsnet.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/vsnet/ VSNET provides a number of mailing lists, on which various news and topics are discussed. Subscriptions to the VSNET mailing lists are free of charge; please refer to the instruction on the above page if a reader needs more information of the list structure. CCD observations of such targets are a relatively easy task for a 20-40cm telescope; simply take as many CCD frames (with exposure times 10-30 sec) as possible, spanning several hours per night. The only requirements are the weather and your patience! If you need more help on the observing technique, please feel free to ask on the vsnet-campaign list. We would sincerely appreciate volunteers who would join the VSNET Collaboration team to study the wonders of these exotic variable stars. To join the VSNET campaign collaborative list, send an e-mail to vsnet-adm@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp (VSNET administrator) with a line "SUBSCRIBE vsnet-campaign." (VSNET campaign members are strongly recommended to subscribe to vsnet-alert at the same time). Regards, Taichi Kato On behalf of the VSNET administrator team ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following was issued on October 15, 2001, as VSNET campaign circulation 1183 [Note a large part of detailed information is posted to vsnet-campaign sub-lists]. VSNET Weekly Campaign Summary *** Last week news *** (new targets) 4C 29.45 (RA = 10h10m05s.37, Dec = +40d00'20".4) M. Villata reported on October 9 that the highly polarized and OVV quasar 4C 29.45 (1156+295) experienced an exceptional radio outburst (vsnet-campaign-blazar 227). The slow fading was reported before the ratio burst by S. O'Connor (vsnet-campaign-blazar 228). RU Peg (RA = 22h14m02s.58, Dec = +12d42'11".4) Recently reported observations show unusually complex outbursts. The current magnitude is around 11.0mag (vsnet-campaign-dn 1702, 1708, 1716). V391 Lyr (RA = 18h21m11s.97, Dec = +38d47'43".0) Since October 6, a long, bright outburst of this object continues. The magnitude is around 14.1mag (vsnet-campaign-dn 1703). TX Tri (RA = 01h37m37s.24, Dec = +30d02'48".9) An outburst continues since October 11. The current magnitude is about 14.0mag (vsnet-campaign-dn 1717). CH Cyg (RA = 19h24m33s.07, Dec = +50d14'29".5) A sudden brightening to about 7mag was reported on October 14 (vsnet-campaign 1182). (continuous targets) Nova Cen 2001 (RA = 13h55m41s.27, Dec = -64d15'57".9) The fading speed became faster from October 8-9 (vsnet-campaign-nova 611, 615, 619, 622), and then around October 12, the reported magnitudes indicates possible oscillations between 11.1-11.6 (vsnet-campaign-nova 625). EF Peg (RA = 21h15m04s, Dec = +14d03'50") The superoutburst is still ongoing (vsnet-campaign-dn 1690, 1693, 1696, 1701, 1707, 1715). PKS 2155-304 (RA = 21h58m52s, Dec = -30d13'31") The object is still in the bright state at around 12.6mag (vsnet-campaign-blazar 229). V893 Sco (RA = 16h14m45s.26, Dec = -28d39'30".3) The object was reported to be slightly bright at 13.8mag (vsnet-campaign-dn 1691). V2275 Cyg= Nova Cyg 2002 No. 2 (RA = 21h03m02s.00, Dec = +48d45'52".9) The smooth fading continues. It is now about 12.3mag (vsnet-campaign-nova 613, 627, 630). V1548 Aql (RA = 19h07m28s.42, Dec = +11d44'45".8) The object faded from the rebrightening. The current magnitude is about 14.6mag (vsnet-campaign-nova 614, 626). SN 2001en (RA = 01h25m22s.90, Dec = +34d01'30".5) IAUC 7732 informed that SN 2001en is of type Ia, and reached its optical maximum around Oct. 10. The reported magnitude around maximum is about 15.0, which is somewhat brighter than the typical SN Ia (vsnet-campaign-sn 261, 262). SN 2001el (RA = 03h44m30s.57, Dec = -44d38'23".7) The SN seems to past the maximum and start fading (vsnet-campaign-sn 259). R. Knight reported 12.4mag on October 12 (vsnet-campaign-sn 260). delta Sco (RA = 16h00m19s.9, Dec = -22d37'17") Recent observations indicates the object becomes brighter again (vsnet-campaign-be 145). V4740 Sgr = Nova Sgr 2001 No. 3 (RA = 18h11m45s.82, Dec = -30d30'49".9) The fading continues. The nova is now around 10.2mag (vsnet-campaign-nova 612, 616, 617, 618, 620, 621, 624, 629). WZ Sge (RA = 20h07m36s.53, Dec = +17d42'15".3) The slow fading still continues and the international campaign is still ongoing (vsnet-campaign-dn 1689, 1692, 1695, 1699, 1706, 1713, 1714, 1718). It seems that slow modulations (hours to a day) seem to have appeared, which have not been observed before. The data on Oct. 4 show a previously unseen general trend of fading. The fading, however, did not continue on Oct. 5. The amplitude of humps reached a maximum on Oct. 7, and has significantly decreased on Oct. 8. The Oct. 8 run showed a general trend of brightening, in contrast to the Oct. 4 observation (vsnet-campaign-dn 1694). The late superhumps were still seen on October 9 and 10 with amplitudes of 0.1-0.2mag (vsnet-campaign-dn 1697). The fading speed seemed to become more rapidly around October 13 (vsnet-campaign-dn 1700, 1705). A. Henden reported V=14.32 on October 14 (vsnet-campaign-dn 1709). The light curve on Oct. 12 show very clear humps (0.3 mag) and narrow, sharp eclipses (vsnet-campaign-dn 1710). *** Future schedule *** WZ Sge campaign D. Steeghs wrote: "Several of us are organizing a campaign on the current outburst of WZ Sge, using a large variety of ground based facilities as well as space observatories. A web-page has been setup listing the scheduled observations so far which we intend to keep up to date at: http://vsnet.astro.soton.ac.uk/~ds/wzsge.html " For more information, see [vsnet-campaign 1039] Supernova campaign: A great opportunity for amateurs by M. Schwartz. For more detailed information, see [vsnet-campaign-sn 233] announce on the HST observations, see [vsnet-campaign-sn 240, 246] *** General information *** WZ Sge Nightly averaged magnitudes, see [vsnet-campaign-dn 1698, 1704, 1719] U-band light curve presented by A. Henden: http://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/phot/wzsgeuk.gif [vsnet-campaign-dn 1720] V445 Pup by A. Henden: A good comparison set of images is given at http://vela.as.arizona.edu/~rmw/v445pup.html A bright BVRI field photometry file is given at http://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/sequence/v445pup.dat and a visual sequence (of little use until the star recovers!): http://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/sequence/sumner/v445pup.seq [vsnet-campaign-nova 623] (This summary can be cited.) Regards, Makoto Uemura