Circular No. 3290 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. TWX 710-320-6842 ASTROGRAM CAM Telephone 617-864-5758 VV PUPPIS W. J. Luyten, University of Minnesota; and J. Liebert, Steward Observatory, report that a substantial proper motion has been measured for the polarized variable star VV Pup. This object has previously been catalogued as BPM 72636, despite its lying in a crowded Milky Way field. The use of two Bruce plates at epochs 1899.33 and 1931.05 with two Palomar plates at 1954.23 and 1968.17 yielded mu_ra = +0".025, mu_decl = -0".097 (per year), or mu = 0".100 in p.a. 165o.0 (with estimated maximum error +/- 0".02). This result supersedes the marginal measurement using only a 9-year baseline quoted by Liebert et al. (1978, Astrophys.J. Oct. 1 issue) and is in good agreement with the BPM catalogue measurement. A significant proper motion for VV Pup is consistent with the assumption that the system has a distance comparable to 100 pc and a luminosity at minimum light in the range of white dwarfs. Coordinated x-ray and optical observations should be emphasized. 4U 1700-37 J. Surdej, European Southern Observatory, reports that optical observations of HD 153919 = 4U 1700-37 made at La Silla on June 15 at binary phase 0.5 (x-ray source in front) show apparent oscillations with period 95 +/- 3 min in accordance with the claim by A. Kruszewski (1978, Inf. Bull. Variable Stars No. 1424). This period is consistent with that of x-ray pulsations (cf. IAUC 3193). The amplitude is 0.01 magnitude in V and smaller or absent in U and B. The variations in a narrow-band filter centered on He II 4686 A are of amplitude 0.01 magnitude and show a secondary minimum. PERIODIC COMET ASHBROOK-JACKSON (1977g) Total visual magnitude estimates: Sept. 24.23 UT, 11.3 (C. S. Morris, Prospect Hill Observatory, 15-cm reflector); 29.11, 11.7 (J. Bortle, Brooks Observatory, 32-cm reflector); Oct. 1.92, 11.3 (G. S. Keitch, Wrington, Avon, England, 20.3-cm reflector); 3.10, 11.5 (Bortle); 7.13, 11.6 (Bortle); 9.14, 11.6 (Bortle, tail 7' p.a. 230o). PERIODIC COMET COMAS SOLA (1977n) Total visual magnitude estimate by A. Hale, Annapolis, MD (41-cm reflector): Oct. 8.39 UT, 13.0, strongly condensed. 1978 October 17 (3290) Brian G. Marsden
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