COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
         INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                     Number 2095

                                  Konkoly Observatory
                                  Budapest
                                  1982 March 1

                                  HU ISSN 0374-0676



       NEW MINIMUM OF X-RAY SOURCE KR AURIGAE




  The variable KR Aur was discovered by Popova (1960). Photometric 
investigations (Popova 1965 a,b, 1975) showed that it was
of unique type. This was confirmed by electrophotometric 
observations of Doroshenko and Terebizh (1978) and photometric
study of Liller (1980). Recently KR Aur was recognized to be an
X-ray source (Mufson, Wisniewski, McMillan, 1980).
  Electrophotometric, spectroscopic and X-ray observations of
KR Aur were obtained only during the period of maximum brightness. 
The last minimum occurred eight years ago.
  The observations of KR Aur on the 2-meter telescope of
Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory in the night 28/29
December 1981 showed that a new minimum of KR Aur has occurred.
The visual magnitude of the object was estimated to be
16.8m - 17.0m. One may expect that the duration of minimum brightness 
will be some months, or, may be, a year.
  The observations, both spectroscopic and photometric, in
minimum are urgently needed for understanding the nature of
KR Aur.

                  V. POPOV

     Department of Astronomy,Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
              "7 November" str. 1, Sofia
              Bulgaria

References:
Doroshenko, V.T. and Terebizh, V.Ju.: 1978, Astr.Circ.Ac.Sc.
         UdSSR No. 1015. [BIBCODE 1978ATsir1015....3D ]
Liller, M.: 1980 Astron. Journal, 85, 1092. [BIBCODE 1980AJ.....85.1092L ]
Mufson, L., Wisniewski, Z. and McMillan, R.S.: 1980, IAU Circ.
         No. 3471. [BIBCODE 1980IAUC.3471....3M ]
Popova, M.D.: 1960, Mitt.Ver.St. No. 463.
Popova, M.D.: 1965 a, Peremennye Zvezdy, 15, 534. [BIBCODE 1965PZ.....15..534P ]
Popova, M.D.: 1965 b, IAU IBVS No. 97.
Popova, M.D.: 1975, Astrophys.Issled. Bulg. Ac. Sci. 1, 68. [BIBCODE 1975ApInv...1...68P ]
Popova, M.D. and Vitrichenko E.A.: 1978, Sov.Astr.Journal, 55, 765. [BIBCODE 1978AZh....55..765P ]