Observing Targets

"The best observing practice is to adopt a star and stick to it - \*density of observation\* is very critical.  Until you don't like it any more - then adopt a different star!" --Joe Patterson (Columbia University, CBA boss)

Our first observing priority are accreting white dwarfs which have been observed to host classical nova explosions. As Joe Patterson said on 2016 Apr 25, *A word about this project - the long-term "old nova project".* We'd like to track the evolution of nova orbital light curves, over the first few decades after outburst. The most interesting interval is the first few years, so even very recent novae (say 1-3 years) are eligible. Most novae flash orbital light curves, and most show a very characteristic light curve, suggesting heating of the secondary - a double-sinusoid with an apparent eclipse. In theory, the evolution of the "eclipse" and the double wave allows deduction of the changing pattern of heating in the binary... and that might even allow us to track the cooling of the white dwarf, decades after eruption.

Note that if the exposure time is mentioned in the object description, this is usually just a suggestion, something that worked fine one of the previous nights. The objects might get dimmer (or brighter) so **you will likely need to adjust the exposure time** in order to reach the object SNR>100 (statistical error <0.01mag) or for fainter objects SNR>50 (corresponds to the error of <0.02mag).

If you need a finder chart - use Aladin sky atlas. Here is a 3min video showing how to use it. Aladin is written in java, so it runs on Win/Mac/Linux, but requires installation. For novae you may need to copy the coordinates in Aladin as it may not recognize the recently-assigned variable star names.

While selecting observing targets please note, that the telescope cannot observe things around their lower culmination. Observable targets should have the Hour Angle in the range -08:00:00 to +08:00:00 (i.e. no more 8 hours = 120 degrees east or west from the southern part of meridian where the upper culmination occurs).

Last updated by Kirill Sokolovsky on 2022 May 02.

## **Exoplanets**

* See MSU observatory slack for this week's targets

## **Novae (recent and old ones)**

Evening targets

Visible all night

* **AM CVn:**  RA = 12:34:54.62, Dec = +37:37:44.1 J2000 (Finder Chart), **a few hours-long time series** in C (unfilterred) band, Magnitude range: 14-14.5, Comparison Stars (In Order): 144, 125, 157, use the guider

Morning targets

* V1674 Her (**highest priority for the next weeks!** switch from AM CVn here when possible), 18 57 30.98 +16 53 39.6, **an hour or longer time series** in C (unfilterred) band, 60 sec exposures, try to focus well, use the guider, start observing when it rises above the altitude of 20 degrees (or use your judgement based on sky conditions)
* RS Oph, 17 50 13.17 -06 42 28.6, a few V band frames, 20 sec(?) exposure
* V1405 Cas, 23 24 47.73 +61 11 14.8, need a few V band frames, 10-60 sec exposures depending on how bright the object is. If there are no better targets, it's OK to stay on V1405 Cas for as long as you want (there is a chance that a long time series may be useful). This is a circumpolar target, but most of the night it is affected by the HA limit (the telescope cannot observe objects at lower culmination)

### **CBA long time-series targets:**

* no high-priority targets at the moment (actually, CBA targets are all in the nova list this season)

### **Our local MSU long time-series targets:**

* no high-priority targets at the moment (but see Exoplanets)

## **Microlensing events**

A pair of images in V band per night are needed for these targets:

* no high-priority targets at the moment

Please slack Kirill Sokolovsky if you manage to observe any of the Nova/CV targets, so I'll run the analysis.

## **Retired (at least presently):**

KELT Transit Finder- There won't be set comparison stars for these. Choose a field that has several comparison stars with similar brightness as the target star (at least 3 comparison stars), and note their x/y positions. Try get an hour before and/or after the transit, and make sure to make a finder chart of your field. If you cannot observe the entire transit, get at least 50% of it with 30 minutes of baseline.

PNV J06501960+3002449, 06 50 19.50 +30 02 43.5, finder chart, *new target* (dwarf nova), **a few hours-long time series** in V band, 60 sec exposures, try to focus well, use the guider

* (difficult target as long as we have the bad winter seeing - faint and has a companion - should be fine when the weather is warm and we can focus properly) BT Mon, 06 43 47.24 -02 01 13.9, **a few hours-long time series** in C (unfilterred) band, 60 sec exposures, try to focus well, use the guider, start observing when it rises above 20 degrees altitude

**QS UMa:**  RA = 09:32:14.81, Dec = +49:50:54.6 J2000

* Finder chart
* Filter: Clear
* Magnitude: 17
* VSX record

**J2104** : 21:04:04.70 +46:31:12.9 J2000, now around V=-15mag (evening target)

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[1] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* Here is another star char with marked comparison stars
* Bright new WZ Sge type cataclysmic variable
* Long term monitoring is required. V-band monitoring for as long as possible throughout the night, or at least for a couple of hours, would be ideal. Repeat as much as possible on different nights.
* Exposure time of 120 sec with Clear filter seem to work fine (SNR~180)
* Please, slack Kirill when you obtain observations of this target.
* CBA also wants photometry of this dwarf nova
* Report the object to CBA and AAVSO as TCP J21040470+4631129 (as in its VSX record)

 **PGIR19brv (= Brave)** : 21:09:25.53 +48:10:52.2, currently at V=16.7, very red, very slow nova

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[2] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* We need VRI images
* Send the photometry to AAVSO and/or slack Kirill

* VSX record

**V339 Del (Nova Del 2013)**: 20:23:30.73 +20:46:04.1 J2000, V=15.8mag (*retired until mid summer*)

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[3] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* This system must be one of our priorities this summer. Our aim is to find (or not) the orbital period of the system.
* Long term monitoring is required. Unfiltered monitoring for as long as possible throughout the night, or at least for a couple of hours, would be ideal. Repeat as much as possible on different nights.
* Exposure time of 120 sec seems to work well in clear filter
* Please, slack Elias and Kirill when you obtain observations of this target.
* Finder Chart
* Comparison Starts (in order): 140, 142, 148
* CBA also wants photometry of this target

**V455 And**: RA= 23:34:01.43 Dec= +39:21:40.6 (low priority?)

* Pretty faint, V ~ 16 mag
* short exposure times (~10 s), as spin period is 67.6 seconds (not sure this will be possible)
* VSX entry

**V1033 Cas:** RA= 00:22:57.64 Dec=+61:41:07.6 (low priority?)

* Pretty faint, V~16--17 mag
* Clear Filter
* Exposure time 120s
* Finder Chart
* Comparison Stars: 144, 138, 168
* Need <10 pix FWHM
* VSX entry

**J0609 (=Nova Ori 2019 = V2860 Ori)** : 06:09:57.45 +12:12:25.2, currently below V=15mag

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[4] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* We need BVRI images (no more need for V-band time series... I guess?)
* Send the photometry to AAVSO and/or slack Kirill
* VSX record

**Gaia19dum (=Nova Vulpeculae 2019 = V569 Vul = Dumbledore)** : 19:52:08.25 +27:42:20.9, currently at V=16mag??

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[5] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* We need BVRI images
* Send the photometry to AAVSO and/or slack Kirill
* VSX record

**V3890 Sgr** : 18:30:43.28 -24:01:08.9, now around V=14.6mag

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[6] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* While it was bright, we used the bright comparison star Sowth-West (lower-right on our images) of the nova has APASS mags B=8.566, V=8.255, R=8.070, I=8.312 (R and I mags are color-transformed from V, r, i), not sure which comp. stars we should use now
* We need BVRI images (no more need for V-band time series... I guess?)
* Finder Chart
* Send the photometry to AAVSO and/or slack Kirill
* This is an outburst of an interesting recurrent nova

**MASTER J1727+38** : 17 27 58.14 +38 00 22.4, V=18mag (evening target)

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[7] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* Clear filter time series, as long as possible, if the object is bright enough to reach SNR>50. If the object is too faint, obtain ~10 images (to stack them and hopefully get at least one magnitude measurement)
* SU UMa type cataclysmic variable
* The goal is to trace the superhump period evolution through the outburst cycle
* VSX record

**Gaia18dvy**: 20:05:06.02 +36:29:13.52, G=16.2mag

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[8] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* Gaia transient alert for this target
* Suggested exposure time: 300s
* Turned out to be a FU Ori (Young Stellar Object) type flare rather than a super-long microlensing event. It's still interesting, we should continue observing it.

**V405 Aur:** RA= 05 57 59.29, Dec=+53 53 44.9

* Classical intermediate polar suggested as a target by Joe Patterson
* The goal is to improve the period of the system
* Clear Filter
* Exposure time 120s
* Finder Chart
* Comparison Stars: 135, 149, 162
* VSX entry

**ASASSN-18ey:** RA= 18:20:21.95, Dec=+07:11:07.3

* Black hole X-ray transient from 2018
* recommend longer exposures, 60-90s
* Finder chart
* Use comparison stars: 146, 128, 143

**Gaia19bcv:** 23:43:54.60 +65:33:43.88, G=15.4mag

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[9] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* Gaia transient alert for this target
* Suggested exposure time: 300s

**ASASSN-19cq:** 17:47:05.88 -13:31:42.0

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[10] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* This is a bright 14mag microlensing event
* Our ATel reporting the discovery [11]
* Suggested exposure time: 300s

**Gaia16bnz**: 03:40:17.98 +49:21:32.1

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[12] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* This is a VY Scl-type cataclysmic variable (13mag) that is incorrectly reported in VSX as a young stellar object (UXOR) [13]
* One/two images in V and R bands/night would be ideal
* Gaia transient alert for this target [14]
* Please slack Kirill Sokolovsky if you manage to observe any of the above two targets, so I'll run the analysis.

**FY Per:** RA= 04:41:56.60, Dec= +50:42:36.0

* FY Per is a total mystery star. A well-determined spectroscopic period of 0.2585 d, but every so often, a 90-minute photometric period pops up just a few hundredths of a magnitude, but not particularly difficult to study since the star is 12th mag. One of these years, we should figure it out!
* Finder chart
* Nice long sequences on this guy, preferably in V filter.
* Comparison stars: 136 V: 13.612, 135 V: 13.478, 143 V: 14.34

**Nova V392 Per:** RA=04:43:21.37, Dec=+47:21:25.9

* Finder chart
* Please get nice B, V, R, I exposures (say, just three exposures in each filter) **every night you observe and the source is visible in the sky** (it's probably mostly set for summer 2018, but should be visible again in late 2018). You don't need to sit on this one for monitoring sequences.
* Don't need to submit to CBA; these are for Laura! Send to chomiuk-AT-pa.msu.edu instead

**CSSJ0458:** 04:58:39.6 +35:05:43

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[15] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* This is a yet-unpublished VY Scl-type cataclysmic variable (16mag)
* One/two images in V and R bands/night would be ideal
* Please slack Kirill Sokolovsky if you manage to observe any of the above two targets, so I'll run the analysis.

**V1062 Tau:** RA= 05:02:27.47, Dec= +24:45:23.3

* Finder Chart
* Use comparison stars:
* Filter to use: Clear

**Paloma=RX J0524+4244:** 05:24:30.44, +42:44:50.8

* Finder chart

**Swift J0525.6+2416:**  05:25:22.75, +24:13:33.5

* Finder chart
* Pretty faint (~16.5 mag)---try monitoring with a clear filter.
* This one has a period of 4 min, so take short exposures and see if you can notice it changing on short time scales!
* DQ Her-type star

**BY Cam:**  RA = 05:42:48.80, Dec = +60:51:31.4

* Finder Chart
* Comparison Stars (In Order): 130 V: 12.969, 148 V:14.789, 134 V:13.392
* Filter: Clear

**FS Aur:** 05:47:48.36, +28:35:11.2

* Finder chart

**MU Cam:** 06:25:16.23, +73:34:38.9

* Finder chart
* 4.7 hour orbital period; 20 minute white dwarf spin period.
* "DQ Her"-like, or an intermediate polar. So the white dwarf has a pretty strong magnetic field.
* Should be around 15 mag.
* Long runs are particularly valuable.

**V959 Mon:**  RA = 06 39 38.74, Dec = +05 53 52.0

* Finder chart
* Nova that exploded in 2012 that is near and dear to Laura's heart
* This one is pretty faint, ~17.3 mag. You might need to do few minute exposures in clear filter, and probably need decent seeing. If you decide it's REALLY too faint and not doable after trying, please make a comment here so we can officially retire it.

**DN Gem:** RA = 06:54:54.35, Dec = +32:08:28.0

* Finder chart
* Old nova that exploded in 1912
* Please get long sequences on this guy, preferably in clear filter.
* Faint star next to a very bright star, hard to observe.

**DW Cnc:** 07:58:53.07, +16:16:45.4

* More info on Koji's intermediate polar (IP) page
* 1.4 hour orbital period; 39 minute white dwarf spin period.
* "DQ Her"-like, or an intermediate polar. So the white dwarf has a pretty strong magnetic field.
* Should be in the range 15--17.5 mag. So either V band or clear monitoring may work; if you have opinions on which is better, report back!

**YZ CNC:** 08:10:56.65, +28:08:33.2

* Finder chart
* Variable Type: SU UMa type dwarf nova
* Campaign Timeframe: ongoing
* Filter to use: V
* Exposure Length: not specified
* Orbital Period: 2.08 hours
* Outburst Period: 7-10 days
* Superoutburst Period: 100-110 days
* Quiescence Magnitude: 14.8
* Outburst Max Magnitude: 12.0
* Superoutburst Max Magnitude: 11.0

**VV Pup:** 08:15:06.79 -19:03:17.7 (13.9 - 19.6 V)

**BH Lyn**: 08:22:36.11 +51:05:25.0 (13.7 - 16.3)

* Finder Chart
* Comparison Stars (in Order): 164, 154, 145

**RZ LMi:** 09:51:48.91, +34:07:23.8

* Finder chart
* Frequently outbursting dwarf nova. "No one has ever managed to learn its precise orbital period, since spectral features are extremely weak and not necessarily stable... and since it spends so little time at anything resembling "quiescence'. --Joe Patterson
* Should be in the range 14--17 mag. So either V band or clear monitoring may work; if you have opinions on which is better, edit this page!

**ST LMi:** 11:05:39.77 +25:06:28.6 (14.4 - 18.5 V)

**CR Boo:** 13:48:55.22, +07:57:35.8 -- retired by Joe Patterson (CBA, message on 15 Jun 2019)

* Finder chart
* Variable Type: AM CVn type dwarf nova
* Campaign Timeframe: ongoing
* Filter to use: Clear
* Exposure Length: 60s
* Comparison Stars: 114, 157
* Quiescence Magnitude: ~15.0

**SDSS J141118.31+481257.6:** RA= 14:11:18.32, Dec= +48:12:57.5

* This AM CVn-type variable is currently undergoing its first recorded outburst (12.6 mag, detected by Tadashi Kojima on 2018 May 19.514 UT). Time-resolved photometry is urgently required.
* comp star 1: 127
* comp star 2: 139
* Finder chart

**OV Boo:** 15:07:22.35, +52:30:39.8

* Finder chart
* Filter to use: Clear

**ES Dra:** 15:25:31.81, +62:01:00.0

* Variable Type: Z Cam dwarf nova
* Campaign Timeframe: ongoing
* Filter to use: V (Clear if too dim)
* Exposure Length: not specified
* Period: 4.2 hours
* Quiescence Magnitude: 15.4
* Negative Superhump Magnitude: 17.0
* Finder chart

**HP Lib:** RA=15:35:53.07, Dec = -14:13:12.2

* He-rich cataclysmic variable, should be around 13.5 mag
* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[16] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* AAVSO Finder chart
* Comparison Stars (In order): 118, 126
* Kirill used the exposure time of 30 sec and it seems to work well for this target.

**V2301 Oph** 18:00:35.53 +08:10:13.9 (14.7 - 22.0 V)

**DQ Her:**  RA = 18 07 30.3, Dec = +45 51 33

* Finder Chart
* Comparison Stars (In Order):
* Filter: Clear

**Nova ASASSN-17hx:** RA=18:31:45.918, Dec= -14:18:55.57

* **PLEASE still observe this, in Summer 2018!!!** This source is still bright, at V~12.5 mag, and other folks aren't observing it!
* Finder chart
* Please get nice B, V, R, I exposures (say, just three exposures in each filter) **every night you observe and the source is visible in the sky**. You don't need to sit on this one for monitoring sequences.
* Comparison Star: 127
* Check Star 1: 134
* Check Star 2: 120
* Don't need to submit to CBA; these are for Laura! Send to chomiuk-AT-pa.msu.edu instead

**DQ Her:** 18:07:30.25, +45:51:32.6

* Finder chart
* More info on Koji's intermediate polar (IP) page
* Had a bright (1 mag!) nova explosion in 1934.
* Should be around 14 mag. So V band should work nicely.

**EP Dra** 19:07:06.16 +69:08:44.0 (17.6 - <21.0 V)

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[17] to find the target
* If the target is so faint that you don't see it - make a V-band image (to get an upper limit) and move on to the next one
* A long time series in V or Clear is preferred, if not possible - individual observations are also useful
* Use the AAVSO chart generator to find suitable comparison stars and follow the analysis instructions to perform photometry and send it to the CBA
* A prompt analysis (same night/next day) is essential. Ask for help if you can't do the photometric analysis on your own.

**Gaia19asx**: 19:16:27.47 +26:39:12.78, G=18.6mag

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[18] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* A few images in V and R bands/night would be ideal, if it's too faint - go unfilterred
* Gaia transient alert for this target

**Gaia19apc**: 19:23:56.82 +14:05:16.94, G=15.6mag (too faint for comfortable observing in V)

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[19] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* Gaia transient alert for this target

**Gaia18dmf:** 19:41:56.25 +34:24:52.4

* Use the Aladin Sky Atlas[20] to make a finder chart (copy the above coordinates to its command line)
* This is a faint 18mag microlensing event, a long (10 min?) exposure is need. The goal is to reach SNR>20 (as reported by MaxIm) on source (corresponds to photometry error <0.05mag). If the SNR cannot be reached for an individual image, please take multiple images in one filter, so I'll try to stack them
* One/two images in V and R bands/night would be ideal
* Gaia transient alert for this target [21]

**IGR J19552+0044:** 19 55 12.47 +00 45 36.6

* Finder chart
* Short exposures (as short as possible!)
* Comparison Stars: 148, 145, 158

**V2306 Cyg:** 19 58 14.46 +32 32 42.4

* Finder chart

**Nova V339 Del:** RA= 20 23 30.73  Dec= +20 46 04.1

* This is a nova that went off in 2013 that is still optically bright, at V ~ 14.5 mag. We want to monitor it to see if we can find the binary period.
* Observe this one in V band for long time series.
* Finder chart

**V1974** **Cyg:** 20:30:31.61, +52:37:51.3

* Finder chart
* Use comparison stars 139, 142, 146
* Filter to use: Clear

**V2069 Cyg:** 21 23 44.83 +42 18 01.6

**FO Aqr:** 22:17:55.38, -08:21:03.8

* Finder chart
* In an interesting low-state right now. Subject of AAVSO campaign
* Should be around 15 mag.
* Use a 'clear' filter and take short exposure (<60 seconds), as you are trying to resolve an 11 minute period

**AO Psc:** RA= 22:55:17.896, Dec= -03:10:39.98

* Finder Chart
* Use comparison stars: 97, 114, 143
* Filter to use: Clear

**V598 Peg = RX233325.92+152222:** 23:33:25.99, +15:22:22.2

* Finder chart
* Faint but try!