UV Per

from VSSC88

UV PERSEI: A MOST UNUSUAL OUTBURST

G Poyner

UV Per was observed in outburst on 1996 March 14th by Belgian observer Eric Broens (Director of the Belgian VSS) at magnitude 11.9. By March 18.009 UT the star had faded to 15.4 and the outburst resembled a normal one. The Danish observer Lasse Jensen then reported UV Per rising again on Mar 18.792 UT to mv=14.1, thus began the start of a supermaximum - triggered by the normal maximum - which saw UV Per brighter than mag 12.0 for 10 days. By March 30th a CCD (V) observation by R. Zissell (AAVSO News Flash N0.5) recorded UV Per at 16.3. The same observer then recorded UV Per brightening for a third time on April 3rd to V=13.9. This was a classic case of post superoutburst brightening. This post outburst activity was seen during the 1989 superoutburst of UV Per, but this is the first time that all three outburst phenomenon have been observed in UV Per (see light curve).

This behaviour of a normal outburst followed by a superoutburst and post superoutburst brightening has been observed in T Leo in the past, and suspected during the 1995 rare outburst activity in GO Com. Also post superoutburst brightenings have been recorded in UZ Boo, AL Com, VY Aqr, GO Com, V1028 Cyg and BC UMa. It is important that observers of these fascinating objects continue to monitor the star carefully after the outburst is over, in order that any post outburst activity can be monitored.