Return to Home Page
HR Carinae is undergoing a huge brightening in a very long time scale. I searched the photometric history of the star and found out that it has been brightening continuously since 1967 to the preent, as if it was in an eta Carinae-like event of dust and gas disperssion. The brightening has become steeper since the very end of 1990 when mean magnitude rose from 8.0 - 8.3 to 7.5 (by the time Hipparcos observed it). With ups and downs the star is now around 7.0 and has changed its "telescopic variable" status of the 60's to its current "easy binocular variable" state. I haven't read articles, papers not even a comment about such extreme and important activity. I think it deserves more attention. By the end of August 2001, the star reached a record-breaking maximum of V= 6.7 and the current variations are now in the range 6.7 - 7.2. I have compiled a lot of photometric data of the star as well as Hipparcos' data and my recent visual observations and made up a light curve that can be seen at: http://ar.geocities.com/varsao/Curva_HR_Car.htm I hope more people will discuss what's happening with HR Carinae. Regards, Sebastian --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://vsnet.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.377 / Virus Database: 211 - Release Date: 15/07/02
Return to the Daisaku Nogami
vsnet-adm@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp
