Circular No. 3184 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. Cable Address: SATELLITES, NEWYORK Telex: 921428 Telephone: (617) 864-5758 HR 1099 A. R. Taylor, University of British Columbia, reporting for the Canadian group of radio astronomers observing with the 46-m Algonquin telescope, informs us that the 2.8-cm flux varied over 0.2-0.7 Jy during Feb. 24-27. From Feb. 27d18h UT until observations ended on Mar. 1d03h UT the flux had stabilized at ~ 0.2 Jy. D. S. Hall, Dyer Observatory, provides the ephemeris 1975 Dec. 19.569 UT + 2.83782E, where the orbital period is that of Bopp and Fekel (1976, Astron. J. 81, 771) and the epoch a conjunction with the more active star in front. He reports that recent photometric observations, obtained mainly in Dec. 1977, show that the minimum of the photometric wave is in the vicinity of phase 0.55-0.60. He also points out that the Astron. J. is planning to devote an issue to HR 1099, with particular reference to the February outburst. Manuscripts should be submitted to the Editors by May 15. V1500 CYGNI J. Patterson, University of Texas, writes: "Photoelectric observations at the McDonald Observatory show that the 3.3-hr variation continues to be present through Dec. 1977. During the interval Oct. 18-Dec. 4 the period was 0.13962 +/- 0.00007 days, a 1 percent increase from the 1976 value. The star continues to show rapid flickering." 4U 1538-52 G. E. Parkes, Mullard Space Science Laboratory; P. Murdin, Anglo-Australian Observatory; and K. O. Mason, University of California at Berkeley, report that star 12 of Cowley et al. (1977, Astrophys. J. 218, L3) in the SAS-3 error circle of 4U 1538-52 is a very reddened B-type star with He I and H-alpha emission. They propose it as the identification for the heavily cut-off and massive x-ray-source binary, and they suggest that it should be observed for the 3.73-day orbital period of the x-ray source. HERCULES X-1 W. Voges, W. Pietsch, C. Reppin and J. Trumper, Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik; and R. Staubert and E. Kendziorra, Astronomisches Institut Tubingen, report hard x-ray (>~ 20 keV) balloon observations of Her X-1 for three phases of the 35-day cycle (phases being measured with respect to turn-on): (1) 1977 Sept. 3, phase 0.12 ('on' state); the existence of the 58-keV line discovered in the pulsed (1s.24) spectrum and interpreted as a cyclotron line (Trumper et al. 1978, Astrophys. J. 219, L105) is confirmed with large statistical significance (>~ 10 sigma); the 1s.24 pulsations (20-50 keV) show an interpulse that is 12 times weaker than the main pulse. (2) 1977 Sept. 20, phase 0.61 (short 'on' state); the intensity (20-50 kev) is a factor of 4 lower than during the 'on' state; the 1s.24 pulsations (20-50 keV) show an interpulse that is only 2.5 times weaker than the train pulse. (3) 1977 Oct. 18, phase 0.41 ('off' state); the intensity (20-50 keV) is a factor of 10 lower than during the 'on' state; the 1s.24 pulsations are detected at a 3.9-sigma level. These results represent the first detection of hard x-rays (> 20 keV) during the short 'on' state and the 'off' state. It is suggested that hard-x-ray satellite and balloon observations be made to check whether the observed significant changes in relative strength of the pulses and interpulses are a systematic effect of the 35-day cycle. 4U 1249-28 H. M. Johnson, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, notes that the eclipsing U Gem-type variable EX Hya is in the error box of 4U 1249-28, while the catalogued identification PKS 1252-289 is outside. HDE 245770 S. Rossiger, Sonneberg Observatory, presents the following photoelectric UBV observations of the probable counterpart of A0535+26 for times before, during and after the x-ray flare reported by Chartres and Li (IAUC 3154): 1977 UT V B U 1977/78 UT V B U Mar. 1.77 8.82 9.47 8.95 Dec. 18.87 8.72 9.41 8.93 9.86 8.89 9.45 8.93 21.09 8.87 9.45 8.93 31.82 8.87 9.45 9.00 Jan. 15.96 8.86 9.44 8.88 Mean errors in V and B are about +/- 0.02 magnitude, in U about +/- 0.05 magnitude. V on 1977 Dec. 18.87 is the brightest known for this star. The comparison star is HDE 245906 (Mitt. Veranderl. Sterne 1976, 7, 105). NOVA SAGITTAE 1977 Further visual magnitude estimates: 1977 Nov. 6.86 UT, 12.3 (G. Hurst, Northampton, England); 15.0, 12.3 (J. Bortle, Brooks Observatory); 29.0, 12.3 (Bortle); Dec. 8.0, 12.3 (Bortle); 18.73, 12.0 (Hurst); 28.0, 12.4 (Bortle); 1978 Jan. 7.75, 12.2 (Hurst). 1978 March 7 (3184) Brian G. Marsden
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