COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
        INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                    Number 1776

                                Konkoly Observatory
                                Budapest
                                1980 April 30


              A DEEP MINIMUM OF MV LYRAE


The nova-like star MV Lyrae (Mc Rae +43.1d) has been observed on plates taken
with the 67/90/215 cm Schmidt telescope of the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory
since 1968. The star was considered as a possible old nova by Greenstein (1).
Walker observed rapid fluctuations and a slower variation between B~=12.7 and
and 14.0 (2). On the Asiago plates (103a-O+GG 13) the star shows irregular
variations from 12.1 to 12.9.

Rather surprisingly, however, during August and September 1979 MV Lyrae
suddenly declined from 15.7 to 18.0. The last magnitude's derived by the
Asiago material were:

1978 Aug. 2   12.5 B
       " 11   12.9
1979 Aug.13   15.7
       " 29   18.0
     Sep.27   18.0

The sudden decline to 18.0 rules out the possibility that the star may be an
old nova.

A programme of photometric and spectroscopic observations of the variable is
now in progress. Radio, UV and X-ray observations of this very interesting
variable should be highly desirable.


G. ROMANO
L. ROSINO
Padova-Asiago Observatory

References:

(1) Greenstein, J.L., PASP 66, 79, 1954 [BIBCODE 1954PASP...66...79G ]
(2) Walker, M.F., PASP 66, 71, 1954 [BIBCODE 1954PASP...66...71W ]