Cataclismic variable stars

Example observations of cataclismic variable stars.

Nova Scorpii 2011 no. 2


According to AAVSO Alert Notice no. 447 the second Nova in Scorpius this year was discovered by John Seach from Chatsworth Island in Australia and independently by Yuji Nakamura from Kameyama in Japan on 6th of September 2011 like a 9.8 - 9.7 mag star, with coordinates: α: 16h36m43s, δ: -41° 32′ 33″. Spectroscopic observations suggest, that this is a classical Fe II-type nova.

We checked our observations' archive in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. Unfortunately in the day of discovery our cameras were turned off, but we have a picture taken a day earlier, and in this picture the nova is not seen. In a picture taken on September 7th the nova has brightness nearly 9.8 magnitudo.

"Pi of the Sky" images 200x200 pixels = 2°x2°. K2a camera is equipped with an R-filter, while k2d camera observing in visible light. Pictures from k2a camera are on the left side, from k2d - on the right (click in the picture to enlarge):

a


Our light curve (click in the picture to enlarge):


And some of our data points:

Some of our observations
HJDDateUTk2a magnitudo
(normalised to R fitler)
k2d magnitudo
2455811.5772011.09.071:5210.04  9.77
2455812.5782011.09.081:5310.12  9.96
2455813.5852011.09.092:0210.4010.16
2455814.5892011.09.102:0910.5510.20
2455815.6042011.09.112:3010.6510.28
2455816.5962011.09.122:1910.8010.44
2455818.5892011.09.142:0911.0410.75
2455819.5762011.09.151:5111.10-
2455820.5802011.09.161:5611.3011.24
2455821.5812011.09.171:5711.3611.17
2455822.5892011.09.182:1011.5211.02
2455823.5762011.09.191:5111.6510.99
2455824.5812011.09.201:5911.4211.11