COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
          INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                       NUMBER 661

                                       Konkoly Observatory
                                       Budapest
                                       1972 April 14


                  OBSERVATIONS OF NOVAE


Three colour photoelectric observations of three novae have been made by B.
Marino and W.S.G. Walker with the 50 cm Zeiss reflector at the Auckland
Observatory. Standardisation with the Johnson UBV system are discussed in
Circ. 184, VSS, RASNZ (1972).

Nova Sct 1970

HD 175731 and HD 173764, measured at Cape, were used to derive following values
for the comparison stars:

HD 173612   V 8.80   B-V +0.08   U-B -0.23
   173456     8.18       +1.14       +1.20

Nova Ser 1970

74 Oph was used as a standard with values of V 4.86; B-V +0.90.

Nova Sgr 1969

An additional observations to those published in IBVS 475 was made.

Observations:

                                  V       B-V     U-B
Nova Sct 1970  2,440,806.98      8.31    +0.42   -0.27
                     819.79      8.87    +0.37   -0.37
                     821.80      9.50    +0.33   -0.36
                     838.92     10.31    +0.36   -0.43
                     840.86     10.64    +0.27   -0.47
                     851.87     11.49    +0.42   -0.01
Nova Ser 1970        666.19      5.99    +0.66    ...
Nova Sgr 1969        878.88     14.09    +0.74   +0.50


1972 January 6

                                    FRANK M. BATESON
VSS, RASNZ,
18 Pooles Road,
Greerton, TAURANGA.
NEW ZEALAND.




                    R CrB VARIABLE UW Cen


Observations from 2,435,106 to 2,440,832 of UW Cen are published in Circular
185, VSS, RASNZ. This variable is a typical R CrB type variable with the
intervals between deep minima distributed entirely at random.

UW Cen, during the 16 years, covered by the observations had a semi-regular
variation of about half a magnitude with a mean period of 42 days in between
the deep minima. This fluctuation persists at all phases of the light curve,
except during the sudden falls to deep minima. The fluctuations tend to be
largest when the star is recovering from minimum. The semi-regular period has
a mean value of 40.6 days from secondary maxima and 43 days from secondary
minima.

Other R CrB variables with a similar semi-regular variation of this nature
are RY Sgr and S Aps.


1972 March 31

                                            FRANK M. BATESON
VSS, RASNZ,
18 Pooles Road,
Greerton, TAURANGA.
NEW ZEALAND.