------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 3086 2015 Jun 24 10.15UT 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- AG PEGASI: RARE OUTBURST AAVSO Alert Notice 521 carries news of a very rare outburst of the symbiotic variable AG Peg. This is the first one observed since its only known outburst, which occurred in 1860-1870. Currently at visual/V magnitude 7.2 (B=7.8), it is an excellent target for visual, PEP, CCD, and DSLR observers and spectroscopists. The current outburst began after 2015 May 27 UT (Tony Markham, Leek, England, from the BAAVSS online database) and was underway by June 13.90 (A. Kosa-Kiss, Salonta, Romania). AG Peg has a very interesting history. Regarding the 1860-1870 outburst, data collected by E. Zinner show AG Peg slowly brightening from visual magnitude ~9.2 in ~1821 to ~8.0 in ~1855, then at ~6.2 in ~1860 and brightening to 6.0 in ~1870, then in decline at ~6.8 by ~1903, and continuing to decline slowly (~6.9 in ~1907, ~8.0 in ~1920, ~8.3 in ~1940). Observations in the AAVSO International Database since July 1941 show that the decline has continued without interruption from an average magnitude of 7.7 to an average magnitude of 8.8-9.0 by mid-January 2015. The AAVSO data since 1941 also show the periodic ~0.4-magnitude variations (~825 days) that have been present since the 1920s. Thus, after taking about 10 years to brighten from its minimum magnitude of about 9 to its maximum magnitude of 6.0, and then fading gradually over 140-145 years, AG Peg is now in outburst again. There are no observations of the 1860-1870 outburst that show the outburst's beginning. This time there is an opportunity to follow the outburst closely and learn just what this system does during outburst. Observations in all bands and visual observations are strongly encouraged. AG Peg is bright enough to be a very good PEP target. For spectroscopists, AG Peg has an extremely complex spectrum that undergoes substantial changes and would make a very interesting target. Observations reported to the AAVSO include: - Visual and untransformed CCD: 2015 Jan 6.773 UT, 8.7 (Gary Poyner, Birmingham, England); 16.773, 8.8 (Poyner); Jun 13.90, 7.7 (KOS, A. Kosa-Kiss, Salonta, Romania); 14.29375, 7.9 (ONJ, J. O'Neill, Topsfield, MA); 21.946528, 7.4 (SSW, S. Swierczynski, Dobczyce, Poland); 21.9514, 7.2 (KBA, B. Kubiak, Ostrow Wielkopolski, Poland); 22.00208, 7.5 (BADA, A. Bielawny, Walbrzych, Poland); 22.057, 7.4 (Poyner); 22.2, 7.3 (BRJ, John Bortle, Stormville, NY); 22.7284, 7.27(02) V (O'Connor); 22.8921, 7.4, Colin Henshaw, Saudi Arabia); 23.2, 7.2 (Bortle); Visual observations in the BAA,VSS database by J. Toone (Shrewsbury, England) and Tony Markham (Leek, England) indicate AG Peg was not in outburst from late April through May 27. Coordinates: 21 51 01.98 +12 37 32.1 (J2000.0) Guy M Hurst