COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
          INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                       Number 3476

                                         Konkoly Observatory
                                         Budapest
                                         11 June 1990

                                         HU ISSN 0374 - 0676


           AS 296 IS IDENTICAL TO FG SERPENTIS

     At the time of chart-drawing for the symbiotic star AS 296, it
appeared that this star is identical to the variable star FG Serpentis,
cataloged as a semi-regular variable.
     Their coordinates differ only slightly:

        AS 296 alpha= 18h 12m 33s      delta=-00d 20'

        FG Ser alpha= 18h 12m 28s      delta=-00d 16.2' (Eq. 1950)

but the identification charts are similar.
The identification chart for FG Ser = S 10363 (Fig. 1) was published by C.
Hoffmeister in AN 290, 286, 1968 and the chart for AS 296 (Fig. 2) by D.A.
Allen in Proc. ASA 5 (3), 369 - 421, 1984.


                            [FIGURE 1]
                            [FIGURE 2]



  EMILE SCHWEITZER
  AFOEV
  16, rue de Plobsheim
  67100 Strasbourg
  FRANCE


Editor's note:
The fourth edition of the GCVS assigns the following coordinates to FG Ser:

           alpha= 18h 12m 30s      delta= 00d 17' (1950.0)

"placing" it even closer to AS 296, leaving no room to doubt their identity.