MBCAA Observatory

U Sco unexpected 2022 eruption (observed June-July 2022)
A few photometric light curves are presented for the well known recurrent nova U Sco that went in eruption in June 2022.

published VX Hya time keeping. Stroboscopic analysis (observed 2005-21)
Photometric observations of the double-mode pulsator VX Hya are presented. They are analyzed with a stroboscopic method, completed by Fourier analysis.

published CK Aqr time keeping. Evidence for a ternary (observed 2005-20)
Photometric measurements of the contact binary system CK Aqr are presented. 49 times of minimum were obtained between 2005 and 2020. Along with already published observations, this allows the derivation of an improved ephemeris. The resulting O-C diagram shows oscillations which are interpreted as the light time travel effect due to a third component, with a period of 8.2 years.

VZ Lib: a contact binary in a ternary system (observed 2014-20)
New photometric observations are presented for this contact binary in a ternary system. A total of 113 times of minimum are analyzed and are found to be in agreement with the ephemeris of Liao et al (2019).

ASASSN-19cq: a microlensing event (observed Feb, Mar 2019)
Photometric observations of this candidate microlensing event are presented and interpreted.

FO Aqr 2017 observations and a new fading
New time-series are presented for this intermediate polar cataclysmic system, undergoing a new fading. This is a follow-up of my 2004-16 observations.

Occultation by 131 Vala (observed: 8 Apr 2017)
The minor planet 131 Vala was observed to occult star TYC 6185-00247-1 on 2017 Apr 8. The occultation duration was 8.914±0.069s.

OV Boo rare outburst (observed: March-April 2017)
Time-series at the outburst of March-April 2017 are reported.

Occultation by 146 Lucina (observed: 30 Nov 2016)
146 Lucina was observed to occult TYC 1898-02675-1 on 2016 Nov 30. The occultation duration was 9.03±0.42s.

FO Aqr 2016 low state and recovery (observed: 2015-2016)
In 2016, the intermediate polar FO Aqr has been observed in an unusual low state and slowly recovering. The O-C are compared with those from my previous observations.

published FO Aqr time keeping (observed: 2004-2015)
Twelve seasons, from 2004 to 2015, of photometric monitoring of the intermediate polar FO Aqr are presented and are compared with previous observations. The ambiguities in the cycle counting can be lifted and a new O-C diagram, spanning 34 y,r is presented, along with new ephemerides.

published BG CMi time keeping (observed: 2005-2016)
Twelve seasons, from 2005 to 2016, of photometric monitoring of the intermediate polar BG CMi are presented and are compared with previous observations. The spin up of the white dwarf is found to have undergone a major change between 1996 and 2005. There is also some evidence for sideband signals.

GSC 318-905 / V551 Vir: a Blazhko star (observed: 2009-2015)
Photometric observations of the RR Lyrae star GSC 318-905/V551 Vir are presented and analyzed. They show a Blazhko modulation with a period of 53.9 days and evidence for irregularities. An animation showing the Blazhko modulation is presented.

VY Cet: a contact binary in a ternary system (observed: 26 Dec 2006, 3 Nov 2007, 30 Jan 2009, 31 Oct 2014)
Time series of this contact binary in a ternary system are presented. 3 ToMs are measured along with the B-V and V-Rc colors.

V884 Her: a polar (observed 11, 19 Feb, 6, 12 Mar, 6 Apr, 27 May 2015)
The linear polarization of this cataclysmic polar is detected, and the orbital minima are found to be way off from the 1993 ephemeris.

published AO Psc time keeping (observed 2004-2014)
Eleven seasons, from 2004 to 2014, of photometric monitoring of the intermediate polar AO Psc are presented and are compared with previous observations. The spin up of the white dwarf is found to be slowing down. The amplitudes of the modulated and non-modulated components of the brightness are found to have undergone a major change in 2007.

V404 Cyg polarization (observed 26, 28 June 2015)
Time series, through polarization filters, of the binary system with a black hole V404 Cyg, during its June 2015 outburst, are presented.

Relativity: a quick introduction
A quick introduction to Special Relativity with a derivation of E=mc2.

published AR Ser: photometric observations of a Blazhko star (observed 2010-14)
Photometric observations in 2010-2014 of the RR Lyrae star AR Serpentis are presented and analyzed. Two Blazhko modulations of comparable amplitude are detected, with the periods 89 and 108 days, and with evidence for irregularities.

published V1432 Aql: 5 more years of observations (28 sessions in 2007-2011)
Photometry observations of the asynchronous polar V1432 Aql are presented. Ephemerides for the orbital motion and for the spin are derived and are compared with previous ephemerides. For the spin, there is some evidence for a secondary derivative of the period.

RV Cet: a Blazhko pulsating star (2009-2011)
Photometry observations of this RRAB pulsating star are presented, with an animation showing the Blazhko modulation.

VX Hya (2011-2012 season) (21, 22, 27 Feb, 13 Mar 2012)
Time-series are presented for this pulsating star, after its sudden pulsation change in 2008 and after the 2010-2011 season observations.

AE Aqr blue flares (13, 16, 17 June 2012)
Time series for this unusual cataclysmic star are presented.

SDSS J015543.40+002807.2 (FL Cet) low state (28 Sep, 15, 16, 17, 18 Nov 2011)
This cataclysmic polar with deep, narrow eclipses has dropped by 2 magnitudes since September 2011.

(939) Isberga: a binary asteroid (21, 22 Oct, 12, 13, 15 Nov 2011)
Light curves for this binary asteroid are presented, showing the spin modulation and eclipses.

published VX Hydrae: observation of a sudden change in a pulsating star (March 2005-April 2010)
Time-series of VX Hya from March 2005 to April 2010 are analyzed. A period jump is discovered to happen in 2008 in all the pulsation modes, being at its strongest for the overtone.

EX Hya outburst (22, 24 May 2010)
A light curve of this cataclysmic system in outburst is reported.

published VZ Lib: a contact binary in a ternary system (2007-2009)
Time series of this eclipsing contact binary are reported and times of minima (ToM) of the eclipses are measured. This system has a third component. From the O-C analysis of the observed ToM and of those in the literature, the orbital parameters of the third body can be derived: the orbital period is 34.8 yr and the inclination is 11.5 °.

CoRoT-1: observations of the exoplanet transits (28 Dec 2008, 18, 21 Mar 2009)
Time-series are presented and are modelled with BinaryMaker3.

329 Svea light/rotation curve (16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 Mar 2009)
Time-series are obtained for this asteroid. A period of rotation of 22.53 h is derived using a Monte Carlo algorithm.

IQ Eri: a cataclysmic in outburst (27, 28 Dec 2008)
Light curves are presented.

V1309 Ori: an eclipsing polar (26 Dec 2006, 15 Feb, 7 Nov 2007)
A phase plot of this eclipsing polar is presented. I try to model it with BinaryMaker3.

ASAS1826+12, the eclipsing Cepheid (July-Nov 2007)
Multicolor photometric measurements of this Cepheid in an eclipsing binary system (the only known one in our galaxy) are presented.

EH Lib follow-up (24 Apr, 7, 12 July 2007)
Time series of this DSCT pulsating star with a period of 2.1h are presented and compared with 2004-2005 observations.

FO Aqr: modeling 4 years of observations (2004-2007)
Time series from 2004 to 2007 of this intermediate polar are fitted with a single analytical function. FO Aqr is then found spinning up with
dP/dt=-(1.1 +/- 0.3)*10^-10.

Feige 7: a rotating white dwarf (Oct-Dec 2006)
A phase plot for this rotating (period 2.2h), magnetic, lone white dwarf is presented.

TX Mon: a Cepheid radius variations (Mar 2006-Mar 2007)
B,V photometry measurements of this Cepheid are presented. The distance, temperature and radius of this pulsating star are computed.

SZ Mon: a double pulsator (Dec 2005-Mar 2007)
Photometry of this pulsating supergiant star (33d period) are presented. The magnitudes are compared with published observations. The measurements are also corrected for a nearby star. Variations of the color, temperature, radius and luminosity are inferred.

SDSS J0407: an eclipsing cataclysmic (Nov 2006-Jan 2007)
Time series for this deeply eclipsing cataclysmic system are presented.

M11: open cluster distance measurement (23 June 2006)
The M11 open cluster (Wild Duck cluster, NGC6705) is observed through B and V filters. An HR diagram is constructed. It is compared with an absolute HR diagram made from Hipparcos data which measured the parallaxes of nearby stars. The distance to M11 is then derived. The interstellar extinction is taken into account using the Henden's sequence for M11 (U data).

UPDATE BT Mon, an eclipser with a hump (26 Oct, 1 Nov, 24 Dec 2005, 19 Jan 2006)
Time series showing the eclipse with a large hump are presented. They are modelized with BinaryMaker3.

335 Roberta rotation curves (30 Sept, 9 Oct 2005)
Rotation curves of this asteroid are presented.

W Vir: temperature, radius and radial velocity determinations from B, V photometry (27 Apr-20 Jul 2005)
V and B magnitudes measurements are obtained for this Population II Cepheid pulsating star. They are used to compute the variations of temperature, radius and radial velocity. The results are compared with direct measurements from spectroscopy.

AE Aqr flares (and HX Aqr) (29, 30, 31 Aug 2005)
Time-series of this intermediate polar were carried out with B and V filters. Flares were observed with strong color changes.

2003 UB313: Solar System new planet (5 and 9 Aug 2005)
Observations with a 20 cm telescope and an animation.

TV Lib: temperature and radius variations from photometry (11, 13, 17, 18 March 2005)
Two-color time-series of this pulsating RR Lyrae are obtained. The pulsation is checked against the ephemeris. The temperature and radius variations are computed from several models.

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