by Lance Shaw
Was able to get some brief time in tonight as there was a report to the Variable Star NETwork (VSNET) alert list of a possible supernova in NGC 3294 in LMi...it was 'somewhat' suspect, the observer reported it very bright (as a relative term) in the 12 to 13th mag range...I did not observe anything at the coordinates given and came in to file my report on-line. I also received other negative observations in the process...ah, did I mention I primarily observe only variable stars?
Of the vars, the group I observe the most are Cataclysmic variables. Most are of the U Geminorum type, the dwarf novae (DNe)...they are faint and tough to see, but a thrill to catch when undergoing an outburst. (There are a small group of Long Period/Mira type variables that are still in my program. I don't have the heart to let go of them, they're old friends. Now and again, one of these types has surprised me too...)
In eight of nine fields I observed tonight, the variable was invisible...this is the part I find uniquely funny...the observation still counts! HA, try that with the Herschel 400! he, he, he...the '<' symbol indicates the variable was fainter than this magnitude when negatively observed... the stats:
| Name | Comments |
|---|---|
| SNe suspect N3294 | <136 GSC mags (yuk! Don't like using these when I can help it) |
| Z Camelopardalis | visible in the high 12th mag range |
| DO Draconis | <143 |
| U Geminorum | <138 |
| AW Geminorum | <135 |
| X Leonis | <142 |
| SW Ursae Majoris | <139 |
| BZ Ursae Majoris | <141 |
| CH Ursae Majoris | <137 |
So_o_o, a wasted night? No. Of these stars, I observe most all of these fields on a nightly basis. (I usually observe more than this) Each magnitude sequence and field is committed to memory, I can keep up with these rascals and make a round of observations in as little as ten minutes. Another neat aspect of this is, each of these stars has their own peculiarities, personality, if you will. It's fun for me whether they follow their periodicity model or not. For a 'quickie' night, this filled the bill nicely.
Get out there and get some sky!