COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U. INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS Number 2332 Konkoly Observatory Budapest 11 May 1983 HU ISSN 0374-0676 ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL BRIGHTENINGS OF VY AQUARII ? Very recently the eruptive variable VY Aquarii became known to have undergone 8 outbursts (1907,1929,1934,1941?,1942,1958,1962 and 1973), see Richter (1983), Liller (1983) and references therein. Examining more than 1000 plates of the Sonneberg sky patrol (mostly taken by H. Huth), I could find some further weak impressions at the extreme plate limit near the position of the variable. Although I cannot rule out that there might be misinterpreted agglomerations of grains or disfigured images of the close comparison star 5 of Vogt (1980) among them, the increased interest in the object induced me not to withhold any piece of evidence, however, problematical it may be. The purpose of this note is to invite further investigation by authors having access to other plate archives. The comparison stars used are those given by Vogt (1980). The following table lists the observed brightenings, combined into groups of equal outburst cycles. -------------------------------------------------------------- UT m_pg remarks UT m_pg remarks -------------------------------------------------------------- 1929 July 5.5 13.0: 1934 Aug 6.5 14.5:: 10.5 [12.2 1935 Aug 26.5 13.1::? 13.5 13.1: 1939 Aug 15.5 13.1:: 14.5 [13.1 15.6 13.3:: 15.5 [13.1 16.4 14.2:: Aug 6.4 [13.1 17.4 [14.5 7.5 [13.1 1940 Aug 30.4 14.5:: 10.5 [12.2 Sep 3.4 12.6:: 1 10.5 12.2:: 5.4 13.1: 11.4 [13.1 5.4 [13.1: 13.5 [13.1 6.4 13.7:: 27.4 14.1: 1941 July 2.5 13.1:: 1934 July 16.5 [13.1 23.5 [14.5 17.5 13.3:: 1942 Sep 16.5 13.1::? Aug 5.5 [13.1 30.4 14.5:: 1942 Oct 4.4 [13.1 1965 Sep 22.4 13.7: 12.4 [13.1 22.4 [13.8 1 13.3 [13.1 22.4 14.5:: 1946 Aug 28.5 13.1::? 22.4 13.6:: 31.4 13.7:: 22.4 14.5:: 1950 Aug 10.4 14.5:: 23.5 13.6:: ? 13.4 [13.1 24.4 [14.5 15.5 13.1: ? 1966 June 21.5 13.1:: ? 20.4 [13.1 22.5 13.6: 20.4 13.5:: 22.5 [13.8 1954 Nov 15.2 12.7:: July 10.4 13.1:: 16.3 13.1 23.5 13.9:: 23.2 14.5::? 23.5 14.5:: 1958 July 11.5 10.5 24.5 13.9: 11.5 10.5 24.5 14.5:: 12.5 10.5 1967 Oct 25.3 [13.1 12.5 10.8 25.3 13.1:: 18.5 11.3 28.3 [13.1 19.5 11.3 28.3 13.1: 25.5 [14.5 28.3 13.1:: Aug 10.4 [14.6 28.3 12.6:: 17.4 13.8::? 1973 May 28.5 13.1:: 18.4 [14.6 June 5.5 12.2: : 1962 published elsewhere 26.5 [13.1 1964 Aug 5.5 [14.5 July 29.5 9.3 6.5 [13.1 29.5 9.4 8.5 13.6: 29.5 9.4 8.5 [14.5 29.5 9.5 1 8.5 13.5:: 31.5 10.1 9.5 13.6:: 31.5 9.7 14.4 [13.1 31.5 10.5 1 1964 Oct 1.4 [14.7 Aug 5.4 10.4 2.4 14.5:: 5.4 10.4 3.4 [13.1 5.4 10.8 4.3 14.5: 5.5 11.2 4.3 [13.8 1 23.5 [14.5 4.3 13.1:: 25.4 13.1:: 4.3 14.5:: 26.4 [14.5 11.4 [14.7 -------------------------------------------------------------- remarks: 1 = panchromatic This list shows that during the periods of eruption observed by Liller (1983) our sky patrol plates exhibit only moderately increased magnitudes. In addition to the 8 outbursts that have hitherto been known, the following observations of increased brightness seem to be reliable: August 1939, August 1940, October 1964, September 1965, July 1966 and October 1967. The other observations are doubtful. Our plates taken since 1973 are without a trace of this star. G. A. RICHTER Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR Zentralinstitut fur Astrophysik Sternwarte Sonneberg References: Liller, M.H., 1983, I.B.V.S. No. 2293 Richter, G.A., 1983, I.B.V.S. No. 2267 Vogt, N., 1980, RASNZ/VSS Publ. No. 8, p. 8