Colin Henshaw is a celebrated binocular variable star observer. He has observed from Mauritius, several countries in Southern Africa, the Middle East and the UK. He is a co-discoverer of the famous supernova 1987a, hence his unusual Email address.
Recently he wrote to me as follows:
Return-Path: <cohensn1987a@hotmail.com>
Dear Danie,
I was in the Royal Astronomical Society Library on Monday when I came across the latest MNASSA journal and your article on the Apr 6th Aurora and your e-mail address. Delighted to learn that all is well at your end. I have heard lots of nasty stories about Zimbabwe recently. I do miss Africa. In recent years I have been teaching in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. . .
I have had my paper on CoD-62deg466 published in France recently, and I have prepared a chart. Unfortunately I cannot observe it from this hemisphere, so I depend on my colleagues in the Southern Hemisphere to follow it for me. I can send you a chart.
The object is listed in Guide 7 and Sky Map Pro, and I found it has a B-V of five mags. [Wow! Such a large colour index means that it is ruby red - Danie] Such an object must be variable.
If I send you a chart, can you let me know what it is doing?
Best wishes,
Colin
Here is a wonderful opportunity for Canopus readers to do some real science and to be
listed as collaborators if Colin produces another paper. It is just a matter of watching
it at every opportunity and reporting to Colin, Jan Hers or me.
The variable is just southeast of P Carinae and is near our old favourite S Carinae.
Enjoy Colin Henshaw's suspected variable.
Danie Overbeek.
Tel 011 453 6918
danieo@global.co.za
