Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Prof. Christian Knigge has posted preliminary feedback to this Chandra campaign on RX And here if anyone wishes to see…
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/baavss-alert/conversations/messages/4512
Gary
Good meeting up again Wayne. Yes indeed, an excellent meeting with a top PA from Jeremy!
As for Paul’s jackets? I could guess but…
Hope to see you at the Xmas meeting.
Gary
I’m happy to see observers taking time out to monitor RX And.
As soon as feedback on the Chandra run is received, I’ll post something here for those who don’t access VS mail groups.
Gary
Thanks for posting this Robin. It does indeed look like HR Lyr is on it’s way up to it’s normal quiescence – which can be quite active by the way.
So the emission lines fade whilst HR Lyr recovers. What do you make of that?
Gary
Thanks David. I saw the one in 1981 when she opened up the museum, but it looked absolutely ancient so decided against it. I’ll check out the 1985 reference though. Martin M also came up trumps (no surprise there), so I have all I need now.
Cheers,
Gary
Many thanks Martin. It was Caroline I was after, simply because I met and spoke with her. However I can use your pic as a backup should I not be able to get one of Caroline.
Gary
I applaud Graham for this super idea, and support him in his aims wholeheartedly. I also urge BAA members who give talks to Astro societies to sign up!
I must point out though that I am an ex-section director these days!
Gary
It’s been pretty cloudy here in Brum, but I did have just over an hour of broken cloud after midnight on the morning of the 12th. I was though at the eyepiece, but did catch a few by chance and out of the corner of my eye. If it had been clear I would have done a proper visual watch. Oh well…
Gary
John Glasby’s 1971 ‘Variable Star Observers Handbook’ was a treasure to me in the years between my first VS observations (1975) and joining the BAA and the BAAVSS (1978). Lots of controversy about Glasby of course, but I found this book invaluable.
Sidgewick’s 1971 edition ‘Observational Astronomy for Amateurs’ rarely left my side in my early observing days too, along with his ‘Amateur Astronomers Handbook’ of the same year. I still treasure those books.
My 1965 Ladybird book of Astronomy remains in pristine condition, and I guess this must have been the first book I used with my first telescope in 1965, closely followed by Nortons 1950 epoch star atlas.
Gone very nostalgic now…
Gary
Good meeting you yesterday Wayne. I don’t get to too many BAA London meetings myself, so I find the Kings Head a good place to catch up with old friends. Hope we bump into each other again at another BAA event.
Cheers,
Gary
Majority of cloud cleared here 10 mins before start. Managed this photo – hand held mobile phone with 14mm Radian eyepiece on 22cm dobby stopped to 10cm using ancient solar screen. Time 11.41UT
Gary
Many congratulations Bill. It looks like your ever so slightly variable! Made my day that has 🙂
Gary
Some cracking images there Dave. Thanks for the link! Shame about the ‘robotic’ commentary though.
I still think the Moon should be painted black however 😉
Gary
Have to agree with Tony on the quality of the meeting (although not the other issue) – it was great! Been a BAA member for nearly 40 years, and this was my first Christmas meeting. Hope it won’t be my last! Good fun in the pub afterwards too.
Gary
Latest news is that it could be a normal outburst, so no lovely superhump profiles on the light curve. However sometimes these normal outbursts can trigger superoutbursts (never been seen in HT Cas though), so worth following after a return to quiescence. Of course you still get eclipses during a normal outburst. Last night (Oct 25.9 UT) it was still bright at 13.2.
Gary
Michael,
HT Cas has just entered outburst – it may be a superoutburst. Good opportunity to have a go at time series. HT Cas is an eclipsing UGSU star, so your light curve through an orbital period or two will look quite spectacular. There is an eclipse ephemeris on my web page (http://www.garypoyner.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/HTCAS15.txt). It’s quite old and needs a tweak, but it will give you a good idea as to when to expect minimum.
Good luck,
Gary
Mick,
There is no such thing as a “typical Nova”. As an example – two Novae V2467 Cyg & V2468 Cyg, both discovered by Japanese observers Tago & Kaneda. Both have a similar absolute magnitudes Mv -8.7, similar apparent magnitudes at maximum ~7.5V and similar t2 values (the time to lose two magnitudes) of 9 days, yet the former has a distance of 2.5kpc and the latter 6.5 kpc.
Gary
