[vsnet-chat 343] Relevant or crazy CV project ?

["Lasse Teist Jensen, LTJ" <ltj@tt.dk>]

Dear Colleagues,

Why is EG Cnc called Huruhata's variable ?
When was DV UMa seen to be an eclipsing variable ?
Is PG1510+234 the same as NY Ser ?
How do the spectrum of V1316 Cyg look like ?
Is AA Cnc a CV ?
What is the superhump period of AY Lyr ?

When doing CV research such questions and many more pop up. But
sometimes it can be a problem to track down the info. There is no
central location (that I know) where such data can be found easily.

The following sources is always useful when you want to find some info
on a star:

- Downes&Shara catalog/atlas
- Downes, Webbink and Shara catalog/atlas
- Duerbeck nova catalog/atlas
- Vogt&Bateson catalog/atlas
- Issues of IBVS
- CVC's
- VSNET notes
- GCVS
- IAU Circulars
- Outburst Activity Database (Vanmunster)
- Warners CV book
- Astronomical magazines

But it can be quite time consuming to follow a chain of references
seeking detailed info. Especially if you don't have access to a really
good astronomical library (which e.g. also contains russian, german and
japanese litterature). You often have to browse numerous references
before the data is eventually found.

The same holds if you try to track the info via the internet. Often
either no links are found or a lot more or less useless links are found.

Anybody out there having the same problems ?

I wish there were a central location with info collected on individual
stars.
Such a database should keep a folder on each CV in the latest Downes,
Webbink and Shara catalog. Each folder could contain e.g. the following
fields:

Name: GCVS name + additional names
Brief discovery history: just a few lines
Position:
Finder chart: e.g. vsnet charts
Example of light curve:
Data on orbital period, superhump period...
Spectral data:
Other data and comments:
References: Not all references for the star. Only the very best and most
useful.

I realise that a project like this is a large task. Is is relevant ? Or
is it just a crazy idea ?

Regards

Lasse Teist Jensen

VSNET Home Page

Return to Daisaku Nogami

---

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