VZ Pyx in outburst -- A new SU UMa star!


(vsnet-alert 362,Berto Monard)

The dwarf nova VZ Pyxidis was seen in outburst with the apogee 40x120.

0857-24 VZ Pyxidis 
     UT        Magn
March 16.747     12.3              vs GSC sequences. 

also (in follow up)
0854-41CU Velorum 
March 16.736     11.0

Best regards,

Berto Monard,
Pretoria

Follow-up observations

Follow up observations on the active dwarf novae VZ Pyxidis and CU Velorum with the apogee 40x120

   UT      Magn

CU VEL in March 96
16.907    11.0
17.022    11.0
17.768    10.8
17.857    10.9    and still going strong!

VZ PYX in March 96
16.906    12.3
17.817    12.2
17.862    12.1   

I will keep you posted from Pretoria if the nice weather holds
out.

Regards,

Berto Monard 

A new SU UMa-type dwarf nova!

(vsnet-alert 365, T. Kato)

Upon notification of an outburst of VZ Pyx by Berto Monard (vsnet-alert 362), we obtained V-band CCD observations on Mar. 18 at Ouda Station, Kyoto University. The resultant data clearly show superhumps with an amplitude of 0.25 mag, and a period of 0.076 day. The humps show sharp rising branches and slower declines, which are characteristic of superhumps during the early stage of a superoutburst. The present observations thus clearly established the SU UMa-type nature of this object. VZ Pyx is probably the first object below the period gap, which shows both characterstics of an SU UMa-type dwarf nova and an intermediate polar (from a period of 0.812 hr during the decline from outbursts; see Remiilard et al. below)

Regards,
Taichi Kato and Ouda team


VSNET chart

VZ Pyx was originally discovered as an X-ray source, H0857-242, which was subsequenly identified to be a cataclysmic variable. References:

De Martino et al. 1992, IAUC No. 5481
Barwig et al. 1993, IAUC No. 5689
Remillard et al. 1994, ApJ 428, 785

Improved superhump period

(vsnet-alert 369)

Dear colleagues,

We (Ouda Team) succeeded in observing VZ Pyx on March 17 and 20 at the Ouda Station. The improved superhump period is 0.07576 (+- 0.00003) day. The observation on March 20 shows the secondary peaks in superhumps seems to have been growing.

Best regards,
Daisaku Nogami

Finding charts

Wide-field finding charts


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