AG Dra observing campaign

Hi Elizabeth

I like the new format.

Gary

The correct thread for the April 2017 observing campaign on AG Dra is this one. The URL for it is https://www.aavso.org/ag-dra-observing-campaign

However, in Alert Notice 572, I accidentally gave the URL for a 2013 campaign on AG Dra: https://www.aavso.org/content/ag-dra-observing-campaign . Do not use this URL.

I have corrected the online text of Alert Notice 572 so it links to the right forum thread.

Please be sure to post all of your comments/questions about the current (April 2017) campaign to the correct thread (https://www.aavso.org/ag-dra-observing-campaign)! My apologies for the error and any confusion it may have caused.

Good observing,

Elizabeth Waagen, AAVSO HQ

I notice that the two closest comp stars are 99 and 105, but their true Vmag are 9.85 and 10.46, respectively. Now, this is resulting in my estimates being 0.05 mag fainter than they actually are, due to this coincidental "roundoff" error, more like a type of systematic error. Should I adjust my observations brighter by 0.05 mag, or leave them based on the roundoff?

Thanks!

Mike

I ahve submitted 4 visual observations of this star recently, and I notice a definite brightening trend of about half a magnitude. However, looking at the light curve https://www.aavso.org/lcg/plot?star=AG+DRA&height=450&visual=on&grid=on…

The CCD measurements in B and V are pretty constant in the same interval. Also, the visual observers seem to be split, with half seeing the same brightening trend as I do, and the other half constant, similar to the CCD.

This is really baffling to me. If there was a marked color change occuring, that might explain it, but the B-V looks unchanged. There is no explanation of this divergence of estimates that comes to my mind !

Mike

Mike, I suspect that noticed discrepancy could be caused by Purkinje effect in action... After all, AG Dra is pretty red star.

Tõnis 

There is some suggestive data at 2454305.6 to 2454305.9.

It mimics your 0.5 mag observation.

245598.6 to 245598.9 suggests datataking during haze then clearing for the bottom of another possible eclipse.

Ray

Dear AAVSO observers,

first of all, thank you very much for your effort to obtain photometric data for our beloved :) symbiotic system AG Dra. We are monitoring the AAVSO database for new AG Dra observations daily and we are really delighted by the enthusiasm and passion of the AAVSO observers involved in our campaign. Thanks this huge effort, this symbiotic binary is monitored with around one-day resolution. The observational data of such amount (109 photometric measurements in B, V, R and I filters from the beginning of the campaign to this day) and quality will give us an unique opportunity to study the photometric activity of this interesting interacting binary in fine details.

As we mentioned in previous, according to our statistical analysis of photometric observations, we know that the the time interval between outbursts of AG Dra vary from 300–400 days, with median around 360 days. If we assume, that the last outburst occurred around JD 2 457 517, we can expect the next outburst in the interval from JD 2 457 877 (May 3, 2017) to JD 2 457 917 (June 12, 2017). Of course, please take this prediction without warranty, since it is based on typical photometric behaviour of this search-less system. There is also some probability that AG Dra will return to quiescence stage as we have already detected such behaviour during the weak activity stage 1963–66.

On the other hand, we have some hints that the symbiotic system AG Dra is still active. Even though the photometric behaviour of AG Dra indicates the typical quiescence low-amplitude variability, some spectroscopic characteristics clearly demonstrate that the system is awakened state. Indeed, the equivalent widths of strong emission lines are almost stable in this period. In contrast, their profiles are typical for the active stages of AG Dra, when the blue-wing absorption component observed only during the quiescence stages is almost completely smoothed away.

So, what can we expect from AG Dra? We will see in next days. In the case of this interesting object everything is possible and as we know this object, it will be certainly the less expected possibility:)

Once again thank you very much for your effort and we are look forward to new exciting photometric data for AG Dra!

On behalf of the scientific team,
Rudolf Gális and Jaroslav Merc

Last night I visually observed it at mag 10.35, quite faint for recent times. During the subsequent few minutes I saw it vary brighter 0.25 magnitude and fainter again. So, this object deserves some close scrutiny by time series observations.

The nature of the variations I am seeing seems to imply it is more likely an obscuration type events rather than simply an eclipse.

Mike

Dear AAVSO observers, 

first of all, we would like to thank you for regular monitoring of the symbiotic binary AG Dra after its last, minor outburst which occurred in May 2017. 

Latest AAVSO data and also our observations have shown, there is a gradual brightening of the system over the last few days (around 0.5 mag in filter B and 0.2 mag in filter V). We would like to ask for a consistent observation of this system over the next days and weeks, to confirm and monitor another outburst of AG Draconis. We would greatly appreciate daily monitoring in UBV(RI) filters.

Thank you for your effort and we are looking forward to your photometric data!

On behalf of the scientific team,
Jaroslav Merc and Rudolf Gális

Folowing a long interval of cloudy nights,  last evening's observation of AG DRA (April 22.18 UT) at a visual magnitude of 9.2 clearly indicates that this star is in a very early stage of a new outburst, as confirmed by several other observers in just the past couple of days. Looking at the AAVSO's light curve suggests that the outburst was initiated abruptly on either April 18th or 19th and that the rise so far has been very steep.

J.Bortle - BRJ   (observer of AG DRA since 1970)

Here is a low resolution spectra of AG Dra (R=870) I imaged on 10Apr18: http://astroimage.info/spectra/agdra_20180410_429_James%20R.%20Foster.png

Its spectrum is looking more "P Cygni-like" than usual.

James

Dear AAVSO observers,

according to photometric as well as spectroscopic observations we can confirm that the new outburst of symbiotic system AG Dra is in onset (The Astronomer’s Telegram #11559). It is the fourth hot outburst of this interesting interacting binary during the present active stage.

The previous three outbursts of AG Dra occurred in May 2015, April 2016 and May 2017 (ATel #7582, ATel #8975 and ATel #10390). The maximal magnitudes (10.7, 9.9 and 10.7 in B filter) rank all these brightenings to the minor outbursts of the symbiotic binary. Such photometric behavior of the active stage is very unusual. More often, the activity of AG Dra starts with a major outburst, during which the brightness can reach the 8.8 and 8.4 mag in B and V band, respectively. Recent outburst activity resembles the weak activity stage 1963–66 (Hric et al. 2014, MNRAS 443, 1103).

The smooth brightening of AG Dra was recognised at the beginning of April 2018 (JD 2 458 211, B = 11.01 +/- 0.03 mag and V = 9.68 +/- 0.02 mag) and the onset of new outburst of this symbiotic binary was photometrically confirmed 11 days later (JD 2 458 222, B = 10.93 +/- 0.03 mag and V = 9.65 +/- 0.02 mag). After next 9 days, the brightness of AG Dra increased by about 0.42 mag and 0.21 mag in B and V filters, respectively. The brightening has occurred after around 340 days after the previous outburst of AG Dra in May 2017 and is still in progress.

The new outburst of AG Dra was confirmed also spectroscopically. The increase of the HeII/Hbeta ratio (1.16) as well as equivalent widths of the prominent emission lines (He II 37.21, Hbeta 32.20, Halpha 87.97, He I 1.94, OVI 8.72 Ang) suggest that the outburst is of the hot type (Leedjärv et al. 2016, MNRAS 456, 2558) like the previous three outbursts in the present active stage of symbiotic binary AG Dra.

According to the aforementioned, we kindly ask the AAVSO observers for daily monitoring of AG Dra in UBV(RI) filters in the coming period as a follow up of spectroscopic observations of this interesting symbiotic system.

Thank you very much in advance.

On behalf of the scientific team,
Rudolf Gális and Jaroslav Merc

AAVSO Alert Notice 631 reports on the current outburst of AG Dra. Please see notice for details and observing instructions.

Many thanks, and Good observing,

Elizabeth O. Waagen, AAVSO HQ

Dear AAVSO observers,

first of all, let me thank you for all your effort which made the campaign focused on monitoring AG Dra throughout its recent active stage (2015 - 2018) so successful.

It seems that the period of activity of AG Dra is over for now. Although you never know about this mysterious object: it had already happened that after 1-2 years of "rest" the symbiotic star had returned to activity. On the other hand, the quiescence data are also very important for understanding the nature of such strongly interacting binaries as AG Dra. For example, the absence of outburst-related dynamical processes allows for a detailed study of the morphology of such binary systems, which we intend with AG Dra in the coming years.

Since there are slower brightness variations during a quiescence period, there is no need for such observation cadence (several observations per day) as in the case of outbursts for reliable data coverage of AG Dra, although at least 1-2 observations per week will be very welcome in the following period. The main goal, for now, is to cover photometrically and spectroscopically at least one orbital period during the quiescence.

We look forward to future cooperation. 

On behalf of the scientific team,
Jaroslav Merc and Rudolf Gális