COMMISSIONS 27 AND 42 OF THE IAU
           INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                       Number 3862

                                           Konkoly Observatory
                                           Budapest
                                           31 March 1993

                                           HU ISSN 0374 - 0676


          PHOTOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS OF NSV 1671


Bradley et al.  (1992) detected "a considerable and unexpected fade of
brightness of the star HR 1469=49 Eri", which is also designated as NSV
1671 (Kukarkin et al., 1982).  Cousins (1963) reported on possible
variability of 0.08m in V near a mean value V=5.31m.  However, a fading to
V=6.9m (Bradley et al., 1992) was never observed before.

To search for such, significant variations in the past, we studied the object
on 125 photovisual (JD 2437583-2447917) and 40 photographic (JD
2437560-2439122) plates obtained with Odessa seven-camera astrograph.  We used
comparison stars from the Catalogue of Blanco et al.  (1968).  All observations
were made in instrumental pg and pv systems because not all observations were
obtained simultaneously in both photometric systems, and because photographic
accuracy does not allow to make a good reduction to the standard system.
Finding chart is shown in Figure 1.

For the photovisual system, we used instrumental magnitudes m_pv=V-0.15 (B-V),
for the photographic system m_pg=V+0.55 (B-V).  The last expression was
obtained by minimizing the relative error of the slope of the mean
characteristic curve for 8 standard stars (listed at the beginning of Table 1).
One may note significant difference in the mean pg magnitudes of other
"standard" stars HD 26462, HD 30211, HD 28978, HD 29634 from that obtained by
the color equation mentioned above.  However, their brightness lie outside an
interval covered by our comparison stars, and we did not test them for possible
variability.

For pv observations, we used a sequence of comparison stars q, b, h, k in a
closest neighbourhood of the variable.

Only one possible fading down to m_pv~=5.80m was detected on JD 2437672.335,
whereas brightness estimates of NSV 1671 at other 124 plates varied between
5.23m and 5.55m with a mean <m_pv>=5.39m and r.m.s.  deviation sigma_pv=0.065m.
The range for photographic system is 5.17m-5.42m, mean <m_pg>=5.33m and
sigma_pg=0.056m.  An estimate at the date mentioned above is m_pg=5.36, without
any evidence for fade within the observational error.  Thus it is surprising
that the fade at the pv plate does not resemble a plate defect.  Amplitudes and
color index obtained for other plates are consistent with those of Cousins
(1963).

Absence of major variation is excellent agreement with Wenzel's (1992) result
based on the more numerous Sonneberg plate collection.

Examination of the object at the other plate collections and new observations
are needed to clarify nature of its fade(s).


                               [FIGURE 1]

               Figure 1. Finding chart for NSV 1671


Table 1.  Brightness of the comparison stars for NSV 1671 in standard and
instrumental photometric systems.

     Star No.
*    Blanco         HD           V          B-V         m_pg        m_pv

a    4254           27861        5.17       0.08     5.00  +-0.09
b    4312           28375        5.54      -0.10     5.17    0.08   5.56
c    3977           25558        5.32      -0.08     5.32    0.07
d    4463           29391        5.20       0.29     5.48    0.06   5.16
e    3985           25621        5.35       0.50     5.79    0.05
f    3854           24817        6.08       0.06     6.12    0.05
g    4489           29610        6.10       0.94     6.57    0.07   5.96
h    4307           28322        6.14       1.02     6.58    0.07   5.99
k    4359           28376        6.38       0.42     6.64    0.07   6.32
l    4077           26462        5.73       0.35     7.32    0.12
mu   4561           30211        4.02      -0.15     5.75    0.05
n    4395           28978        5.68       0.05     6.33    0.06   5.67
p    4494           29634        8.57       0.08     6.71    0.08
nu                             ~~3.93                4.25    0.14
q    4360           28749        4.91       1.32                    4.71


Authors are thankful to S. Yu. Shugarov and I. Platais for pointing their
attention to this interesting object.



                          L. L. CHINAROVA
                          I. L. ANDRONOV
                          Department of Astronomy
                          Odessa State University
                          T. G. Shevchenko Park
                          Odessa 270014
                          Ukraine

References:

Blanco, V. M. Demers, S., Douglass, G. G., Fitzgerald, M. P, 1968, Publ. U.S.
   Naval Obs. Second Ser., Vol. XXI, 380 pp [BIBCODE 1968PUSNO..21....1B ]
Bradley, A., Hoffleit, D., Platais, I., 1992, IAU Circ., No. 5656 [BIBCODE 1992IAUC.5656....2B ]
Cousins A. W. J., 1963, MNASSA, 22, 12 [BIBCODE 1963MNSSA..22...12C ]
Kukarkin, B. V., Kholopov, P. N., Artiukhina, M. N., Fedorovich, V. P., Frolov,
   M. S., Goranskij, V. P., Gorynya, N. A., Karitskaya, R. A., Kireeva, N. N.,
   Kukarkina, N. P., Kurochkin, N. E., Medvedeva, G. I., Perova, N. B.,
   Ponomareva, G. A., Samus, N. N., Shugarov, S. Yu., 1982, New Catalogue of
   Suspected Variable Stars, Moscow, "Nauka", 360 pp
Wenzel, W., 1992, IAU Circ, No. 5675 [BIBCODE 1992IAUC.5675....2W ]