COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
                  INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                              Number 3582

                                                        Konkoly Observatory
                                                        Budapest
                                                        22 March 1991
                               
                                                        HU ISSN 0374 - 0676


                         IS BN Ori STARTING AGAIN?

   In this paper we are calling attention of the variable stars observers
to the very interesting variable star BN Ori. This star has been classified
by the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Kholopov et al., 1985) as an
object belonging to the rapid irregular variables with unpredictable algol-
like minima. A serious and complete analysis of main peculiarities in 
variability of BN Ori has been made by Dragomiretskaya (1965). According to her,
the star is characterised by rather prolonged (3000 days-4000 days) intervals
of constant brightness (normal state). These periods are changed by intervals
(1000 days-1500 days in length) of "stormy" photometric activity. But during
the last 45 years BN Ori had a constant brightness V=9.63m+-0.03m in V
(Shevchenko, 1989).
   BN Ori has been observed as a part of our current study of irregular
variables in the regions of active star formation. All the UBVR observations
were obtained with the 0.5 m reflector on the High-Mountain Observational
Station "Terskol" (Caucasus, h=3100 m) using a single channel photon counting 
photometer with an unrefrigerated PRM-79 tube and conventional UBVR 
filters.
   During 38 observational nights 58 observations were obtained. The light
curve in V (Figure 1) clearly shows the features observed for irregular 
variables with non-periodic algol-like minima - i.e. very flat maximum (normal
state with sigma_v=0.05m) and three light depressions with a maximum 
amplitude of DeltaV=1.5m and maximum duration ~2 days.


                             [FIGURE 1]


   In our opinion, BN Ori is beginning a new period of its "stormy" 
photometric activity - which has been waited for more than 45 years.


                                        G.U. KOVALCHUCK

                                    Main Astronomical Observatory,
                                     252127, Kiev, Ukrainian SSR



References:

Dragomiretskaya, B.A.: 1965, Astrofizika, 1, 455.
Kholopov, P.N., editor, et al.: 1985, General Catalogue of Variable Stars,
      Nauka, Moscow.
Shevchenko, V.S.: 1989, Herbig Ae/Be stars, Fan, Tashkent. [BIBCODE 1989has..book.....S ]