Johannesburg Centre, Astronomical Society of Southern Africa


Variable of the Month

CoD -62deg 466

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


Hits since October 2003: Hit Counter  

Neither ASSA nor the Johannesburg Centre is responsible for the content of any site to which this web presence might be linked. The opinions expressed by our contributors are not necessarily those of the Society. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy of information presented on this site, nor for its use or the consequences thereof.

Comments & Suggestions? Mail to webmaster@assajhb.co.za