------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2400 2007 Dec 11 13.25UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- V1017 SAGITTARII Berto Monard, Bromberg, South Africa has reported that V1017 Sgr (= Nova Sgr 1919) has recently brightened reaching magnitude 11.8V on 2007 Nov 27.730UT. This and earlier observations were made with a 0.30-m LX200 + CCD ST7 with V filter. V1017 Sgr reached magnitude 7 on 1919 March 11 but had additional bright phases to mag 11 in 1901 and 1973 so is regarded as a recurrent object. The Quick Look data from the AAVSO only goes to Nov 10 as the object is now badly placed in relation to the Sun. Further observations are welcomed when the variable is better placed early next year. COMET 17P/HOLMES H. H. Hsieh, A. Fitzsimmons, and D. L. Pollacco, Queen's University, Belfast, on behalf of the WASP Consortium, report on IAUC 8897 that the SuperWASP-N facility was serendipitously imaging the position of comet 17P throughout October, and that the comet is not visible in unfiltered CCD images to a limiting magnitude of V approximately 15 at or prior to Oct. 23.27 UT. The comet is visible in the next image taken on Oct. 23.99 and brightens steadily, becoming saturated at approximately Oct. 24.10. From photometry performed using apertures 70" in radius (5.1 pixels; 124000 km at the comet), a nearly 3-fold increase in the comet's brightness is found (from V approximately 9.7 to 8.6) in the 2.6 hours of unsaturated data. The brightening of the comet during this period is consistent with a power law with an exponent of 2, which would be expected from the linear expansion of an optically thick dust coma. Assuming a constant rate of expansion, the time of the comet's initial outburst is found to be approximately Oct. 23.8 UT. VARIABLE IN SERPENS S. Nakano, Japan, reports that Nishiyama and Kabashima have found a variable star located at: RA 18h 09m 24.25s DEC -7 22" 14.2" (2000), using a 200mm FL lens and unfiltered CCD. 2007 Oct.2.485 UT, 12.8; 12.501, 12.3; Nov. 19.358, 10.5; 19.387, 10.7;20.414, 11.2; 20.430, 11.1; 20.431, 11.0. On IAUC 8898 it is mentioned there is a USNO-B1.0 catalogue star (mag 18.5) has position end figures 24s.30, 13".5. VARIABLE STAR IN CENTAURUS C. Colesanti et.al., report on CBET 1144 their discovery, in the course of the Brazilian Supernovae Survey, of a variable star located at: RA 14h 12m 37.22s DEC -56 35' 50.4" (2000). The following red CCD magnitudes were measured from their archival images: 2005 Apr. 4.371, 16.3; 14.218, 14.7; May 2.189, 13.8; 15.194, 13.8; June 11.060, 13.8; 27.027, 13.7; July 30.003, 14.1; 2007 Feb. 22.320, 16.3; Apr. 20.225, 15.8. Guy M Hurst