BL Lac

Special Notice #290: Blazar BL Lac bright

July 24, 2012: The blazar BL Lac, the prototype of this class of variable objects, has brightened in the optical and radio wavelengths. ATel #4271 (Sh. A. Ehgamberdiev et al., http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=4271) on July 23 announced this brightening. The ATel team reported that "the source brightness has recently increased from R = 13.66 +/- 0.01 on July 19.82 to R = 12.60 +/- 0.01 on July 22.97.

BL Lacertae

"Twinkle, twinkle quasi-star
Biggest puzzle from afar
How unlike the other ones
Brighter than a billion suns
Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star
How I wonder what you are."
- George Gamow, "Quasar" 1964.

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