COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
        INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                    Number 2401

                                      Konkoly Observatory
                                      Budapest
                                      20 September 1983

                                      HU ISSN 0374-0676



         A POSSIBLE CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE IN CANCER


On the photographs taken with the f50 cm camera centered at iota Cancri I
detected a variable which showed rapid change of brightness. The emulsion was
Tri-X and the yellow-green filter was used to get the brightness very close
to visual magnitude. The results of measurements around the outburst are as
follows:

     U.T.       m_v   U.T.         m_v
---------------------------------------
1977 Nov. 9.8 [12.0   Nov.22.8    12.4
         12.8  11.9   Dec. 3.8    14.0:
         18.8  12.5:       4.7    14.0:
         19.7  12.4        6.7   [14.0
         20.7  12.3        7.9    14.1
         20.8  12.0        8.7   [14.0
         21.7  12.3       10.7   [14.0
---------------------------------------

                             [FIGURE 1]

                    Figure 1. Light variation in 1977


  The star was examined on about 280 photographs taken thereafter in six
observational seasons through 1977 and 1983, usually from October to May, but
no other outburst was found. As I detected the star after the outburst was
over, no other materials such as colour and spectrum were available, but judging
from the light variation it seems to be a cataclysmic variable like nova
or UG type rather than periodic Mira type.

                             [FIGURE 2]

                     Figure 2. Finding chart


  The star was examined on the Palomar Sky Atlas, and a star of brightness
 16.4m(red) and 17.7m(blue) seems to be the corresponding one.
  The position of the star is measured as,

          alpha : 8h40m3s ,        delta : +28d2.4'     (1950.0)





                 MASAAKI HURUHATA
                 Hodozawa 88
                 Gotemba-shi, 412
                 Japan