COMMISSION 27 OF THE I.A.U.
                 INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                              Number 2936

                                                         Konkoly Observatory
                                                         Budapest
                                                         23 September 1986

                                                         HU ISSN 0374 - 0676


                OBSERVATIONS OF SUSPECTED VARIABLES
                    IN THE FORNAX CONSTELLATION

In a 5x5 degree field centered on the dwarf spheroidal galaxy Fornax
(2h38m -34d39' [1950]) there is no known variable stars. This field
contains, however, three stars listed in the 1982 edition of the New
Catalogue of Suspected Variable Stars (NSV). They are no. 863, 917 and
919.
   During the course of a photographic survey of the red variables of the
Fornax system; twenty one UK Schmidt IIaD + GG495 plates, were measured
with the APM in Cambridge UK. Because the three above suspected variables
are on our plate, we investigated their variability.
   We therefore present our findings for these three stars. The newly
determined coordinates are accurate to 2 arc seconds. The quoted (B-V)
colors are based on only one B measure.

NSV #863    RA = 2h38m28s.0  Dec = -34d51'25" (1950)

Identification with CoD -35 886 is confirmed. This star is a low amplitude 
Population II Cepheid with a period P = 7.60146 days <V>= 11.31
(B-V) = 0.4. Its light curve is presented in Fig. 1 and its visual
magnitudes are listed in the Table I.


                 TABLE I

     V Magnitudes of Suspected Variables

   JD          NSV 863    NSV 917?   NSV 919
2440000.0+

4458.20         11.25      16.92      9.81
4482.23         11.31      16.98      9.95
4511.17         11.16      16.93      9.89
4844.29         11.35      16.96      9.98
4869.25         11.16      16.93      9.90
4931.15         11.29      17.04      9.97
4940.02         11.46      17.01      9.93
4956.95         11.46      17.07      9.98
4967.97         11.22      17.02      9.97
5194.29         11.24      16.91      9.97
5202.29         11.19      16.94      9.95
5212.28         11.27      16.98      9.91
5280.07         11.18      17.03      9.99
5641.11         11.38      16.87      9.79
5664.02         11.41      16.91      9.89
5676.98         11.37      17.02      9.94
5695.98         11.25      17.01      9.92
5915.28         11.35      17.03      9.85
6019.05         11.43      16.88      9.91
6047.00         11.26      16.93      9.86
6074.96         11.44      17.07      9.98


                                [FIGURE 1]


NSV #917 = HV 11094 no magnitudes given

   This star was discovered by Mayall (1951) who gives a spectral type Me
and calls it a long period variable. A note states: "South preceding
CoD -36 1043". The arrow on the finding chart points toward this CoD
star and there is no obvious south preceding star (which should be, if
present, under the arrow). All the stars on Mayall finding chart have
been measured on our plates. The reddest star in this small field is
109" southwest of CoD -36 1043. This "south preceding" star has an
apparent visual magnitude of 17 and it appears, to us, very unlikely
that the Harvard 10-inch objective prism patrol would have picked up
such a faint object. We therefore cannot confirm that this faint star
is indeed #917. This red star shows very low amplitude variations, a
period P = 194.8775 days fits the data. The light curve is shown in
Fig.1. Its position is: RA = 2h42m59s.7 Dec = -36d29'2" (1950)
<V> = 16.97 (B-V) = 1.6

NSV #919 = CoD -36 1043 RA = 2h44m4s.0 dec = 36d27'27" (1950)
V= 9.92 (B-V) = 0.1
   A search in the interval 0.15<=P<=100 days did not yield a period for
this star. Our photographic photometry shows that this star does not
vary more than the other 10 magnitude stars in the field. If this star is
at all variable, its amplitude is below our detection threshold. We,
therefore cannot confirm Bloomer's (1971) observations.


                         SERGE DEMERS,
                         RICHARD LANG

                      Department of Physics
                      Universite de Montreal
                     Montreal, Canada H3C 3J7



References:

Bloomer, R. 1971, IBVS # 586.
Mayall, M.W. 1951, Harvard Bull. no. 920, 32. [BIBCODE 1951BHarO.920...32M ]