Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
IAUC 3054: VV Pup; PKS 0735+178; X-RAY SOURCES; 1976f
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Read IAUC 3055
Circular No. 3054
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
Postal Address: Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Cable Address: SATELLITES, NEWYORK Telex: 921428
Telephone: (617) 864-5758
VV PUPPIS
S. Tapia, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, writes: "Periodic
linear polarization pulses and circular polarization variations
have been observed during the active phases in the optical light
curve of VV Pup, confirming the suggestion by Bond and Wagner (IAUC
3049) that this object is similar to AM Her and AN UMa. Both
polarization states reach a maximum of +16 percent in the V and B bands,
with the circular polarization changing sign at the phase of the
linear polarization peak."
PKS 0735+178
D. W. Wingert, H. R. Miller and B. Q. McGimsey, Georgia State
University, report that this BL-Lac object, which Kinman had noted
as brightening (IAUC 3033), had brightened to B = 13.9 on Mar. 15
UT. The object is now as bright as the brightest star in Wing's
(1973, Astron. J. 78, 684) comparison sequence. During the past
three months the change in B has been approximately linear at a
rate of -0.5 magnitude per month.
X-RAY SOURCES
K. O. Mason, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University
College, London, writes that x-ray pulsations from the vicinity of 3U
1258-61 (cf. IAUC 3039) were independently discovered from data
obtained with the Ariel 5 satellite. Observations made in collaboration
with P. G. Murdin and N. Visvanathan on the Anglo-Australian
Telescope in February reveal the presence of an early-type emission-line
star near the error box of 3U 1258-61 at R.A. = 12h58m10s.7, Decl. =
-61o19'53" (equinox 1950.0). H-alpha was seen in emission with an FWHM
of 700 km/s and an equivalent width of 12 A. The absorption spectrum
suggests a spectral type between B2 and A0. Subsequent photometry
on the 102-cm telescope at Mount Stromlo gave V = 14.72 and
B-V = +1.80. H. Bradt and K. Apparao, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, report that SAS-3 measurements give an x-ray position
of 1' precision 30" east and 8" south of this optical position.
T. Markert, F. Li, J. McClintock and S. Rappaport, Massachusetts
Institute of TechnGlogy, report that the SAS-3 Group has discovered
a 7s.6801 +/- 0s.0001 periodicity in the x-ray intensity of 3U
1626-67. This source was observed during Mar. 24.3-26.3 UT and was
unusually bright throughout this period. The mean x-ray flux in
the 3-6 keV band was ~ 0.04 that of the Crab Nebula or about 4
times as intense as reported by Uhuru. The source was also highly
variable with continual intensity fluctuations on timescales of
100-400 seconds. Further optical and x-ray studies of this source
should be made during this period of high intensity.
M. J. Coe, A. R. Engel and J. J. Quenby, Imperial College,
London, report that their Ariel 5 results suggest the existence of
a hard x-ray flux from (Nova) DQ Her (1934). The measurements from
the period Feb. 19-25 give a flux of (1.1 +/- 0.38) x 10**-5 ph cm**-2
s**-1 keV**-1 over the energy range 260-1200 keV.
B. A. Cooke informs us that the catalogue of high galactic
latitude x-ray sources, compiled from the University of Leicester
sky survey instrument on Ariel 5, is now available in preprint form.
Copies may be obtained from Dr. Cooke at the address: X-Ray Astronomy
Group, Physics Department, The University, Leicester, U.K.
Corrigendum. The zero phase quoted for 3U 1538-52 on IAUC
3039 refers to the orbital period, which Becker et al. had preliminarily
estimated as 3.75 +/- 0.15 days.
PERIODIC COMET PONS-WINNECKE (1976f)
Continuation to the ephemeris on IAUC 2880:
1977 ET R. A. (1950) Decl. Delta r m2
Apr. 27 1 00.01 -10 45.1 2.881 2.081 20.3
May 7 1 19.02 - 9 19.2
17 1 36.85 - 8 03.9 2.919 2.233 20.6
27 1 53.52 - 6 59.9
June 6 2 09.03 - 6 07.7 2.914 2.383 20.8
16 2 23.37 - 5 27.8
26 2 36.45 - 5 00.5 2.866 2.530 20.9
July 6 2 48.20 - 4 46.0
16 2 58.49 - 4 44.4 2.779 2.674 21.0
26 3 07.17 - 4 55.5
Aug. 5 3 14.07 - 5 19.0 2.664 2.814 21.0
15 3 19.00 - 5 54.3
25 3 21.75 - 6 40.1 2.539 2.950 21.0
Sept. 4 3 22.19 - 7 34.3
14 3 20.20 - 8 34.1 2.433 3.081 20.9
24 3 15.80 - 9 35.3
Oct. 4 3 09.20 -10 32.7 2.381 3.209 20.8
14 3 00.81 -11 21.1
24 2 51.27 -11 54.9 2.419 3.332 20.8
Nov. 3 2 41.38 -12 10.5
13 2 31.93 -12 06.3 2.568 3.451 21.0
m2 = 16.0 + 5 log Delta + 5 log r + 0.03 (phase angle)
1977 March 30 (3054) Brian G. Marsden
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