LBV

November 7, 2008

SUBJECTS: 1041-59 ETA CAR; 2349+56 RHO CAS

OBSERVATIONS REQUESTED: 1041-59 ETA CAR and 2349+56 RHO CAS

EVENTS: Possible optical brightening of eta Car over next few months; Possible optical fading of rho Cas over next few months

Eta Carinae is one of the most interesting stars in the sky. According to predictions, 2003 could be a very exciting year for observing Eta Car. Below is a list of resources and information that can help you with your observations.

October 19, 2012:  Dr. Noel Richardson (Universite de Montreal, formerly at Georgia State University) has requested monitoring of the Small Magellanic Cloud eclipsing binary HD 5980 (in Tucana) as part of a multiwavelength campaign he is coordinating to study this unusual system. Dr. Richardson writes:

CONTINUED THROUGH 2017

July 26, 2012: The luminous blue variable (LBV) HDE 269006 = R71 in the Large Magellanic Cloud is brightening and is currently at V magnitude 8.3.

Observations in the AAVSO International Database going back to 1987 show HDE 269006 at visual magnitude ~10.8 until 2006, when it began to brighten, reaching magnitude ~8.5 in late 2009. It then declined to ~magnitude 9 by late 2012, where it has been since then.

May 9, 2012: We have been informed by Dr. Noel Richardson, Georgia State University, that the UV spectroscopy observations of S Dor to be made with the Hubble Space Telescope have been scheduled for

2012 MAY 11 from 21:21:55 UT to 23:55:04 UT.

February 23, 2012:  Dr. Noel Richardson, Georgia State University, has requested monitoring of the luminous blue variable (LBV) prototype S Doradus as part of a multiwavelength campaign he is coordinating to study the photosphere of this star. At present the observations planned include:

1. UV Spectroscopy from HST
2. Optical spectroscopy from CTIO and an amateur in Australia
3. Near-IR Spectroscopy from SOAR (pending approval)
4. Mid-IR photometry from Gemini (pending approval)