September 1, 2016: Dr. Christian Knigge (University of Southampton) and colleagues have requested AAVSO coverage of the Z Cam dwarf nova RX And in support of Chandra X-ray observations to be carried out via a Target of Opportunity (TOO) triggering when the system is in a suitable outburst.
The next outburst of RX And, expected in mid-September, may or may not be well placed for Chandra's schedule, so monitoring may need to continue through more than one outburst before the TOO observations can be triggered. Good coverage of RX And from AAVSO observers this season is essential to ensure seeing when outbursts begin, how they progress and end, and how the system behaves during quiescence. Your observations will be used to decide when to trigger the TOO observations.
Please observe RX And beginning now (one to a few times, widely spaced, per night), continuing until the Chandra observations have been carried out and the end of the campaign is announced. Visual and V or CV band observations are requested; other bands are welcome but are not essential. Please report your observations to the AAVSO via WebObs as soon after you make them as possible, especially if you see RX And at visual magnitude 13.5 or brighter. Recently, RX And has ranged between visual magnitudes 11.1 and 14.1; over the years it has been as bright as 10.3 and as faint as 14.8.
Coordinates (2000.0): R.A. 01 04 35.52 Dec. +41 17 57.8
Charts: Charts with a comparison star sequence for RX And may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (VSP).
Please submit observations to the AAVSO International Database using the name RX AND.
This campaign is being monitored on the AAVSO Observing Campaigns webpage and is being followed on the Campaigns and Observation Reports Forum at https://www.aavso.org/content/rx-and-chandra-observing-campaign.
Observers may also be updated on this campaign via an AAVSO Special Notice; it is recommended that observers subscribe to the Special Notices as well as the Alert Notices. Subscription to Special Notices (free) is via one's My Account page on the AAVSO website.
This AAVSO Alert Notice was compiled by Elizabeth O. Waagen.
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