Preparing for the eruption of T CrB

Forums Variable Stars Preparing for the eruption of T CrB

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  • #619098
    Gary Poyner
    Participant

    V1500 Cygni (Nova 1975) reached magnitude +1.7 at maximum on August 30th 1975, having been discovered the day before at magnitude 3.0. It faded very quickly after that – t3 = 3d (then the fastest Nova on record and still has, I believe, the largest amplitude of any known Nova ~19 magnitudes). I saw it myself, and the event put me on the VS path.

    The brightest Nova ever recorded is V603 Aql – Nova Aql 1918, the ‘Victory Star’. This peaked at magnitude -1.4 in June of 1918, and you can still see it today in small telescopes, varying slightly around magnitude 12.0. I wouldn’t think there is anyone around now who witnessed this spectacular event though.

    Gary

    #619185
    Paul G. Abel
    Participant

    I just hope it happens when CrB is accessible- perhaps Jeremy can check the delivery note to make sure that it arrives after December?! By the way, will we have some naked eye comparison charts ready?

    It’s interesting what you said about a nova getting you interested in variables Gary, my first was the supernova in M82 a few years back- you suggested I do a few variables and now I have over 10 which I follow regularly!

    Cheers,
    -Paul

    • This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Paul G. Abel.
    • This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Paul G. Abel.
    #619188
    Jeremy Shears
    Participant

    Hello Paul,

    Yes, indeed, John Toone has prepared a NE chart and sequence here: https://britastro.org/vss/xchartcat/CrB%20T%20025.04%2050d.JPG

    When it erupts, it will transform this part of the sky – briefly. As I comment in the forthcoming October Journal, I dearly hope the eruption is detected by an amateur astronomer.

    John has also extended the sequence at the faint end this year, given that T CrB is in the pre-eruption Peltier dip and is currently fading: https://britastro.org/vss/xchartcat/CrB%20T%20025.04%202d.JPG

    Go well,
    Jeremy

    #619190
    Paul G. Abel
    Participant

    That’s very useful, thanks Jeremy- I have downloaded a copy of them! As you say, let’s hope an amateur discovers it!

    • This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Paul G. Abel.
    #619212
    Mr Ian David Sharp
    Participant

    Hi all,

    My B mag. measurements from last night suggest a bit of a rise in the past few days. Hope to check this again tonight.

    #619215
    Jeremy Shears
    Participant

    I was looking at the LC the other day and it is rising a bit, but I think this is due to the ellipsoidal modulation associated with the orbital period: 227 days, or half that peak to peak, ca 0.2 to 0.3 mag amplitude . This modulation is superimposed on the overall fading trend do to the pre-eruption Peltier dip.

    #620541
    Jeremy Shears
    Participant

    An A&A preprint on arXiv today by a group of astronomers, including Mike Bode of LJMU, discusses “Accretion in the recurrent nova T CrB: Linking the superactive state to the predicted outburst”, https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.04342

    Whilst making no specific prediction for the outburst beyond “in the coming year”, they discuss the 2016 – 2023 superactive state and the current pre-eruption dip and how these relates to the impending thermonuclear runaway.

    #621551
    Maxim Usatov
    Participant

    Some blue channel data with activity coming in.

    #622044
    Maxim Usatov
    Participant

    Interesting hump tonight.

    #622046
    Jeremy Shears
    Participant

    Great to see you following T CrB, Max. As you say, it looks like a smooth hump.

    #622062
    Stewart John Bean
    Participant

    Got the binoculars out last night – it was clear in Gloucestershire – for the first time. Easy target now in the south at 3am.
    Had a look in the TESS archive but only 4 recorded LCs and not currently pointing in the right direction. The LCs are noisy with a slow drift in amplitude reflecting the orbital period.
    Stewart Bean

    #622139
    Kwong Man
    Participant

    Question about the “B” filter mentioned in Jeremy’s article on T CrB.
    Is that a Johnson B filter or an ordinary Blue filter.
    And what is the RA and Dec of T CrB, I cannot find a reference to it.
    {I worked out it is in the constellation of Corona Borealis, near Hercules).

    Many thanks.
    Kwong

    #622140
    Jeremy Shears
    Participant

    Johnson B
    J2000.0
    15 59 30.16 +25 55 12.6

    #622152
    Grant Privett
    Participant
    #622219
    Bill Ward
    Participant

    Hi,
    Not monitoring purposefully but I like to keep an eye out for anything that might crop up in the background…
    A fortuitously placed meteor right next to CrB but no sign of the outburst yet…
    Cheers,
    Bill.

    #622224
    Michael O’Connell
    Participant

    Hi,
    Not monitoring purposefully but I like to keep an eye out for anything that might crop up in the background…
    A fortuitously placed meteor right next to CrB but no sign of the outburst yet…
    Cheers,
    Bill.

    Interesting you mentioning that Bill.
    I’m planning to adjust a couple of my GMN cameras a little to bring it in to their FOV for a longer period of time.
    I may put a UV/IR rejection over the lens as well to allow some approximation of magnitude.
    Michael.

    #622225
    Bill Ward
    Participant

    Hi,
    I’m not an expert on such things but given our “continuous” montitoring and timestamped images it might be interesting to see how it develops it we get a couple of lucky catches.
    Bill.

    #622231
    Alex Pratt
    Participant

    Hi Bill,

    RMS meteor software records 10s captures throughout the night, so if a meteor camera is monitoring the T CrB field when the nova outbursts, it could contribute valuable photometry. Many such video meteor cameras use a 4 mm or 6 mm f.l. lens, reaching mag 6 at best. 12 mm and longer f.l. lenses fare a little better.

    For meteor work the IR filter is removed from the lens, and the sensor is red sensitive, so that’s why Michael is considering adding a filter to obtain mag estimates nearer to visual.

    Observers running an RMS video meteor camera(s) need to check if CrB passes through the FoV and be ready to save that series of Captured files for later photometry.

    Jeremy has briefed us on the ‘Peltier Dip’. Let’s hope that T CrB follows its expected pattern and gives us fair warning. I hope it waits a while yet, at least until clear skies ever return to Yorkshire. 🙂

    Cheers,

    Alex.

    #622346
    Robin Leadbeater
    Participant

    Brad Schaefer talking enthusiastically about T CrB on BBC World Service “Science In Action”
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4sdv

    Robin

    #622409
    Stewart John Bean
    Participant

    I listened to Brad’s enthusiastic delivery.
    ~Interesting to think about detecting a neutrino flash. Now I do not have a suitable detector in my back yard, but it triggered the thought:

    Will the X ray/gamma ray flash be sufficient to be detected as a blue/green scintillation flash from the upper atmosphere?

    Stewart

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