[vsnet-chat 3939] Delta Sco observed by SOHO

[Fraser Farrell <fraser@trilobytes.com.au>]

The SOHO spacecraft can be used to observe more than just the Sun and 
suicidal comets. Hundreds of stars pass through its view each year; 
including Delta Sco, which can be seen in the LASCO C3's field of view 
during the last week of November.

I've taken a quick look at SOHO archival images from 1998 and 1999, and 
Delta Sco is discernably brighter in the 1999 images. Unfortunately I 
can't provide numbers because their archive server is refusing to let me 
do FITS downloads which I could feed to image analysis. I was restricted 
to viewing the GIF equivalents and visually comparing the images of Delta 
Sco with nearby stars :(

Nevertheless, it is clear that Delta Sco was still brighter than "normal" 
during November 1999. So it probably didn't return to quiescence at any 
time during solar conjunction, and we're now entering the 6th month of 
this current outburst.

I don't know the limiting magnitude of LASCO C3 – or how its images 
compare to visual observation – but it seems to be useful for filling in 
the annual data hole for variables near the ecliptic.



cheers,
Fraser Farrell

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