V650 ORI

Hi Stephen,

It usually in the mid-16's but once I saw it brighter at 15.7, but I've only followed it a couple of years. A pretty tough positive estimate even in my 20" under dark skies!

Mike LMK

Some of the historical data for V650 Ori are measures of a nearby star (from an old AAVSO chart). The current chart identifies the object correctly - as far as we know.  

I've seen it a few times in the low 15's and 16th mag, but usually I make negative observations. It's one of those fields which is difficult for a visual observer for some reason.  I also have some time series data obtained by Ian Miller showing V650 Ori rise from 15.65C-15.25C over the course of 30 minutes or so.  This data has been analysed by Chris Lloyd and he suggests that the flickering analysis points to a possible UX UMa type object (similar to IX Vel), but that was from just one short run so a lot more work needs to be done.

There are suggestions in the literature that V650 Ori does brighten.   Ian Miller made note of this in an e-mail to Chris Lloyd and myself in February of this year..."Mitteilungen uber neuentdeckte Veranderlicht Sterne' in May 1966 says that S9560 (V650 Ori) was "bright Nov 22 1963 (3 plates), sometimes faintly visible on other plates, mostly invisible, not colored"  This is assuming of course that we are looking at the same object.

V650 Ori has been on the BAA Recurrent Objects Programme for some years now, and I intend to keep it on until we can establish it's true ID and hopefully it's type.  It needs a higher profile for that to happen of course, and obviously far better attention from CCD observers who can carry out a more intense and accurate monitoring programme than us visual types. As a visual observer I won't be dropping it from my programme though - just in case something unexpected does happen!

Gary [PYG]