COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
        INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                     NUMBER 549

                                Konkoly Observatory
                                Budapest
                                1971 May 14


     PHOTOELECTRIC OBSERVATIONS OF ETA CARINAE

      Following reports from visual observers of the VSS
RASNZ, that Eta Carinae appeared to have brightened slightly
and be fluctuating, the Auckland Observatory were requested
to obtain photoelectric observations. W.S.G. Walker has 
advised the observations below of Eta Carinae:

--------------------------------------------
1971 U.T.           V       B-V       U-B
--------------------------------------------
March 23.455       6.024  +0.577    -0.360
23.464             6.008   0.585     0.358
24.406             6.005   0.591     0.354
26.611             6.028   0.603     0.321
April 25.543       5.996   0.590     0.333
28.365             6.004   0.606     0.374
28.372             5.993   0.612     0.371
--------------------------------------------

              
      The observations were made with the 50 cm Zeiss
Cassegrain reflector. Comparison star was HD 93695 (V=6.47;
B-V=-0.13). The measures of Eta Car are considered to be
better than +-0.02m in V and include the whole of the 
nebulosity visible in a 31" diaphragm. An arbitrary value, from
measurements, for HD 93695 was adopted of -0.60 for U-B.

1971 May 6


                          FRANK M. BATESON

                           V.S.S., RASNZ
                          18 POOLES ROAD,
                             GREERTON,
                           TAURANGA, N.Z.