-------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2515      2009 Jan 01 12.00UT
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IQ ERIDANUS
Berto Monard, South Africa, reports on CBET 1633 that the cataclysmic 
variable star IQ Eri (RA 02h 55m 38.0s DEC -22 47' 03" equinox 2000.0) 
is in outburst, as shown by his unfiltered CCD magnitudes: 2008 
Dec.20.880 UT, 14.1; 25.789, 13.2.  Monard has monitored this star since 
its discovery in 2002 but the brightness has always been observed to be 
in the range 16.5-18.5. Cloud-interrupted time-series unfiltered 
photometry during the current outburst showed strong light variations 
within a range of 0.65 magnitudes over a period of 90 minutes, but no 
cyclic behaviour or superhumps were seen.

SUPERNOVA 2008if IN MCG -01-24-10
Discovery by the CHASE Project of a possible supernova (CBET 1619):
SN      2008 UT      R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.    Mag.     Offset
2008if  Dec. 16.18  09 20 23.47  -07 52 33.1  14.9    22.4"E,17  "N
K. Itagaki (Japan, 0.60-m f/5.7 reflector) obtained an unfiltered CCD 
image (limiting mag 19.0) on Dec. 16.698 that shows it at mag 16.0
Guy Hurst also reports a photometric set of measures for 2008 Dec 
28.173UT of magnitude 16.1V +/-0.1 using the Bradford Robotic Telescope.

GENERAL CATALOGUE OF VARIABLE STARS (GCVS)
The GCVS has been moved to the regularly-updated section of the
Strasbourg catalogue-query service VizieR. The current version contains 
41638 stars in the main catalogue plus 26017 NSV stars according to 
Brian Skiff. Further information can be found at:

http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/Cat?B/gcvs

The old site of the GCVS at:
http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs/

is still active and it may be advisable to check both sites for the time 
being in any check for newly suspected variable objects until it is 
clear that the new site has totally replaced the earlier version.

We continue to receive false alarms of new variables which are already 
known and, in addition to the above, checking the AAVSO International 
Variable Star Index at:

http://www.aavso.org/vsx/

is worthwhile for objects announced but not yet accepted into the GCVS 
or NSV listings.

Guy M Hurst