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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1554      2000 Aug 22 16.28UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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V550 CYGNI (Q2000/283)
Timo Kinnunen, Finland, reported a possible brightening of V550
Cygni (UGSS) as follows:
2000 Aug 17.860UT, 15.3; 19.870, 14.8; 19.912, 14.8

Gary Poyner, Birmingham, responded to a TA appeal for confirmation
and reported a tentative visual sighting on 2000 Aug 21.010UT at
mag 14.3v (GSC sequence).

Subsequently Martin Mobberley notified the editor that he had
imaged the field on 2000 Aug 21 at 20.32UT using the 0.49-m f4/5
Newtonian and MX916 CCD in a 2 minute exposure. However
identification in this crowded field was difficult.

Upon receipt of the e-mailed image, the editor found that a tracing
of the field had been made in a visit to the RAS library on
1986 August 28. This had been found in Astron. Abhandlungen
Hamburger Sternwarte, Bered Abh VI No 4 [1966]. A star suggested
by Martin Mobberley seemed to coincide with the star labelled in
the paper.

Further research by the editor on the digital Palomar Sky Survey
of 1953 July 11 showed a faint mag 17 pair. The bright object
on Martin's image may be the southern component of this pair or,
indeed, an additional star just further south. We urgently
require astrometry to try and secure the identification relative
to the Palomar candidates.

A chart and very approximate sequence, based on pv estimates
by Hurst from the Mobberley image, will follow on E1555. Based
on this the star in Martin's image was probably about magnitude
14.7.

Guy M Hurst