------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2200 2006 Feb 13 07.59UT 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 Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- RS OPHUICHI According to announcements by Kenji Hirosawa received via VSNET, Kiyotaka Kanai (Gunma,Isezaki-shi) and Hiroaki Narumi, (Ehime,Kita-gun) have found RS Oph in outburst as follows: Feb. 12.829 U.T. 4.5 H. Narumi (5cm F) visual 12.848 4.6 K. Kanai (5cm B) visual 12.855 4.5 K. Kanai (5cm B) visual 12.862 4.4 K. Kanai (3.5cm B) visual 12.869 4.4 K. Kanai (3.5cm B) visual 12.876 4.4 K. Kanai (3.5cm B) visual Wolfgang Renz, Karlsruhe, Germany has confirmed the outburst: STAR DATE(UT) mag REMARKS OphRS 20060213.163 4.8 10x70, moon, LM 6.3mag, low OphRS 20060213.181 4.8 10x70, moon, LM 6.8mag, low OphRS 20060213.214 4.8 10x70, moon, LM 7.4mag OphRS 20060213.235 4.8 10x70, moon, LM 5.6mag, twilight John Toone adds: Congratulations to Hiroaki Narumi on detecting this long awaited outburst. My last pre-outburst observation is: 2006 Feb 10 (0548UT) P(1)V(3)U 10.6 C8 A reminder to all that RS Oph was VSOTY in the 2005 BAA Handbook and hopefully this current outburst will allow us to fully resolve the physical outburst mechanism. The AAVSO bulletin adds that this is the first outburst of RS Oph in 21 years! It last peaked on January 28, 1985 at magnitude 5.4. The first stage of the decline then lasted 38 days and it declined at an average rate of 0.1 magnitudes per day. Within 111 days it had returned to its normal state. Editor: George Alcock reported the 1985 outburst on TA Early Warning Circular 73 issued on 1985 Jan 30 when his estimate that morning using 15x80B was about magnitude 6. The editor confirmed that event on Jan 30.27UT at magnitude 5.9v using 15x80B. The 9 degree BAAVSS chart can be found at: www.britastro.com/vss/chartcat/Oph/RS%20Oph/RS%20Oph%209d%20024.02.gif Guy M Hurst