Hello everyone,
I was exploring the VSX database last night looking for potentially interesting stars to monitor that would be accessible to my equipment and limited visibility window off my back southern-facing patio. I came across SZ Aqr, a type LC variable 8.4-10.4V with a period of 141.93 days. I generated chart X34493PG (FOV=2.0 / mag limit 12.0) but no comparison star magnitudes are listed.
For fun, I configured the chart to show VSX variables in the field of view then looked up various other star magnitudes on Stellarium. (A few of the brighter stars have HD identifiers.) I assume that there are other considerations for selecting appropriate comparison stars, such as color index, that I wasn't accounting for. I went ahead and estimated a 9.1 magnitude. Would AAVSO want such observations, and if so, how to indicate comparison stars with no obvious identifier? (RA/Dec coordinates?). Or perhaps the data so suspect as to be of limited scientific value. I won't take it personally if that's the case. :-)
Best,
John Rachlin (RJOJ)
Hi John. If you are logged in with your account, you can try to ask for comparison stars. There is a team to help with it. The VSX account is different from your AAVSO login.
I hope it helps you in some way.
Thank you Cledison. I did go ahead and create a vsx account. I think the information I was looking for is here:
https://www.aavso.org/request-comparison-stars-variable-star-charts
(I didn't realize that the link labeled "Request a Sequence" on the Variable Star Plotter main page refers to requesting comparison stars. Beginner mistake. :-) )
I'll go ahead and submit the request to the compstars team. FYI, SZ Aqr currently has just 15 observations by 3 observers dating from 1972-2013. The lack of observations is probably due to its southerly declination and the lack of comparison stars. Historical fun fact: SZ Aqr was discovered by Henrietta Leavitt in 1913.