NOTE: Table of MAGIC observations revised 14 and 15 May 2012 per Dr. Christopher Mauche.
11 May 2012: Dr. Christopher Mauche, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and colleagues in Spain and Oman have requested AAVSO observations in support of their upcoming multiwavelength observations of the novalike intermediate polar cataclysmic variable AE Aqr with the Swift satellite, the MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov) telescope on La Palma, Canary Islands, and telescopes at other ground-based observatories in Serbia, Crete, and La Palma. Their goal is to study the extreme high-energy (gamma-ray) and high-energy (x-ray) behavior of this complex system. AAVSO observations will be critical to the success of this campaign.
The MAGIC observations are scheduled for 2012 May 16 - June 1 and (pending approval) June 13 - 19. The table below gives UT times of MAGIC observations for each date. Swift observations correlated with the MAGIC times will be carried out each day as well, and ground-based photometry has been scheduled.
REVISED TIMETABLE AS OF 15 MAY 2012
2012 May
16, 3:30 - 4:49 UT
17, 3:21 - 4:49
18, 3:17 - 4:49
19, 3:13 - 4:47
20, 3:09 - 3:53
21, 3:06 - 3:49
22, 3:02 - 3:45
23, 2:58 - 3:41
24, 2:54 - 3:37
25, 2:50 - 3:33
26, 2:46 - 3:29
27, 2:42 - 3:25
28, 2:38 - 3:21
29, 2:34 - 3:17
30, 2:25 - 3:13
31, 2:15 - 3:09
2012 June
01, 3:28 - 4:54
02, 3:45 - 4:54
REVISED TIMETABLE AS OF 8 JUNE 2012
B-band photometry is requested during and +/- 1 hour around the times of the MAGIC observations in order to correlate the multiwavelength observations of this campaign. To help establish the context for the B observations during the MAGIC observations, please begin making nightly B observations of AE Aqr now, and continue through the end of June 2012. Visual observations and photometry in other bands are also welcome. Particularly in May, AAVSO observations are crucial because all but one of the ground-based observatories doing optical photometry are too far west to observe AE Aqr at this time.
AE Aqr, classified as (DQ+ELL), is a magnetic system containing a white dwarf pulsar and a main sequence star; it is an x-ray source and shows flares in U and B and in U, B, and V. According to observations in the AAVSO International Database, its range is approximately V=10.5-12.5; currently it is magnitude V=11.4. Dr. Mauche and colleagues carried out a successful multiwavelength campaign on AE Aqr in 2005 (AAVSO Alert Notice 326, http://www.aavso.org/node/1555/149).
Coordinates: R.A. 20 40 09.16 Dec. -00 52 15.1 (J2000.0)
Charts for AE Aqr may be plotted using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). A table of photometry values for this field is also available there. Photometrists should use the 12.2 and 12.4 comparison stars.
Please report all observations to the AAVSO International Database as AE AQR.
This campaign is being followed on the AAVSO Observing Campaigns page (http://www.aavso.org/observing-campaigns).
This AAVSO Alert Notice was compiled by Elizabeth O. Waagen.
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