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\IBVShead{4164}{28 February 1995}                      % Use it with dummy or empty arguments

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\centerline{\ft MORE CLARIFICATION NEEDED FOR NSV\,11271}
\centerline{\ft AND VY LYRAE}
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VY Lyrae and NSV\,11271 are two stars needing further detailed observations.
The slow variability of NSV\,11271 has not been confirmed but the star is also
a spectroscopic binary with a period of 2905 days (Batten et al., 1989). VY
Lyrae has been classified as a W UMa type eclipsing variable by some observers
whereas others have reported it as not  variable.

In the NSV Catalogue (Kholopov, 1982) NSV\,11271 is recorded as 8.0pg K5 and
is identified with BD +39\degr 3505 and HR\,7041. The Bright Star Catalogue
gives photometric data V=6.45, B$-$V=1.57 K5III, and the Washington Catalogue
of Double Stars (Worley, 1986) indicates a 10.3v companion at 60\farcs 2, P.A.
192\degr. The companion is optical (Griffin, 1987) and too faint to affect 
estimates of the variability of the primary. Variability had been discovered
by Soloview (1922) who reported that the star gradually increased in brightness
from May 6 to June 4, 1922. Then poor observing conditions precluded further
observations until August when Soloview and Selivanov found the star to have
begun to fade. The amplitude was reported as about one magnitude, probably
only about 0.7v (Samus, 1994). Long period variation was suspected. It would be
of interest to ascertain whether or not there is a correlation between the
spectroscopic and the light variations.

The variability of VY Lyr was also discovered in 1922 by Soloview, and confirmed
by J. Kazansky. It was reported to have varied from 10.8 to 11.2v, with W UMa
type curve in a period of 3\fh 45\fmm\ or 0\fd 156 (Seliwanow, 1923). Some 
later observers (see Prager, 1936; Schneller, 1957) failed to detect any
variation: Guthnick and Prager (1928) from 10 observations, Zverev (1934 and
1937) from 41. Since 1935 it has been listed in the GCVS as cst: even though
Sandig (1950) did report rapid variations among 17 observations between 1929 and 
1939; and again among 10 in the fall of 1948 amounting to an amplitude of
0\fm 6; but only marginal variation in 32 observations
in the fall of 1949.

A finder chart (reproduced here as the left diagram of Figure 1) as well as
a summary of new observations, whose amplitudes do not exceed the observational
errors, is given by Zverev and Makarenko (1979). The star circled is identified 
as VY Lyrae. But that star is BD +39\degr 3507 at 18\fh 38\fmm 45\fs +39\degr 
2\farcm 3 (1855) whereas Prager (1936) clearly states that VY Lyr is not a
BD star. The position given by Prager and in all GCVS catalogues since 1927,
18\fh 38\fmm 57\fs +39\degr 5\farcm 8 (1855) agrees with the position given
by Seliwanow in his announcement of the Soloview discovery. This star is 
labelled as comparison star x. Hence it appears that x and VY may have been
interchanged on the original chart. The stars marked b, c, p, and x are
the comparison stars cited by Zverev and Makarenko for brightness determinations.
Step values for c, x and p are 0.0, 2.1 and 6.0 respectively, while the
magnitudes assigned to b and c are 11.57 and 12.09 pg. It is not clear whether
the published magnitudes correspond to star x or BD +39\degr 3507. Moreover,
it does not seem a forgone conclusion that all the observers who found no
variation were all examining the same star.
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\centerline{2}
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Figure 1. Left figure, from Russian Variable Stars, Supplement {\bf3}, 440, 1979,
photographic magnitudes. Figure at the right from visual BD, with relevant BD numbers
indicated. The open circle for VY Lyr is inserted at the position of star x in the
left figure. For both charts North is at the top and East to the left.
\end{center}
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\begin{center}
Table 1. Positions of Critical Stars.
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\normalsize
\begin{tabular}{lccll}
\hline
Star&RA (1855)&D (1855)&\ \ \ Mag&Remark\\
\hline
\\
NSV\,11271&18\fh 38\fmm 27\fs&+39\degr 09\farcm 2&8.0p K5& \\
+39\degr 3504&18 38 26.0&+39 08.5&9.5v&Optical companion of +39\degr 3505\\
+39\degr 3505&18 38 27.0&+39 09.5&6.5v&SB 2905d\\
\\
VY Lyr&18 38 57&+39 05.8&10.5-10.9&Period 0\fd 156, 0\fd 31, or cst.\\
+39\degr 3507&18 38 45&+39 02.3&9.5v& \\
JBAA 33,291&18 37$^{\star}$57&+39 05.8&10.5-10.9&Period 3\fh 45\fmm\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
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\large
$^{\star}$Probably 38\fmm intended
\vskip 3mm

VY Lyrae is in close proximity to NSV\,11271 (BD +39\degr 3505). The right hand
diagram of Figure 1 is a copy of a portion of the BD chart including the area
of the variables. Several BD stars in the +39\degr\ zone are identified. The
stars marked x, b, and c in the left figure are not BD stars, while p is
BD +38\degr 3270, mag. 9.4v. The approximate position of star x is circled in
the right figure. It is about 4\farcmm\ north following BD +39\degr 3507.
An examination of the Carte du Ciel chart for plate center 18\fh 45\fmm
+39\degr, reaching 14pg does show a faint star in the approximate
position of star x. It may well be VY Lyrae. Indeed Chikinz and Kasitzyne (1923)
of the Russian Society of Amateurs of the Universe's Knowledge, who either
confirmed or quoted the 3\fh 45\fmm\ period, indicated the position of the
variable as 18\fh 37\fmm 57\fs +39\degr 05'49'' (1855). If for 37\fmm\ we
read 38\fmm, then this position does agree with the location of star x 
(see Table 1).
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\centerline{3}
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The positions given for VY Lyrae in all the general catalogues of variable
stars from 1926 through 1985 are consistent with the position of star x, not
the one circled as VY on the Zverev-Makarenko chart. Aside from the questioned
chart identification, no reference to VY Lyr indicates any relation to
BD +39\degr 3507. The question remains whether Zverev and Makarenko merely
interchanged the labels of x and VY Lyr on their chart; or do their 
observations of non-variability correspond to BD +39\degr 3507, a star not
listed as variable in either the GCVS or the NSV catalogue?

As the amplitudes of both NSV\,11271 and VY Lyrae are small, extensive 
photoelectric observations are needed to ascertain dependable light curves.

Acknowledgements. Dr. Imants Platais kindly translated passages from the
Russian and contacted N. Samus for a Russian publication not available in
the Yale Library. Samus sent us translation of the relevant reference to
NSV\,11271 together with his own comments.
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% Call for macros \authors - \authorsrightcol - \endauthors
\beginauthors
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Dorrit HOFFLEIT
Department of Astronomy
Yale University
New Haven, CT 06520-8101
\endauthors

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\references

Batten, A. H., Fletcher, J. M., and MacCarthy, D. G., 1989, {\it Pub. Dominion
Astrophysical Obs.}, {\bf 17}, 96, 255

Chikinz, A., and Kasitzyne, W., 1923, {\it J.B.A.A.}, {\bf 33}, 291

Griffin, R. F., 1987, {\it Observatory}, {\bf 107}, 58

Guthnick, P., and Prager, R., 1928, {\it VJS}, {\bf 63}, 118

Kholopov, P. N., Ed. in Chief 1982, {\it New Catalogue of Suspected Variable 
Stars}, Moscow

Kholopov, P. N., Ed. in Chief 1985, {\it General Catalogue of Variable Stars},
{\bf 2}, Moscow

Prager, R., 1936, {\it Geschichte und Literatur des Lichtwechsels}, {\bf 2}, 233

Samus, N., 1994, Translation and commentary on Soloview, 1922, Private communication
to I. Platais

Sandig, H. U., 1950, {\it A.N.}, {\bf 279}, 93

Schneller, H., 1957, {\it Geschichte und Literatur des Lichtwechsels}, (2), {\bf 4}, 369

Seliwanow, S., 1923, {\it A.N.}, {\bf 219}, 350

Soloview, A. W., 1922, {\it St. Petersburg Pub}, {\bf 11}, 96

Worley, C., 1986, unpublished, courtesy of author

Zverev, M., 1934, {\it Russian Variable Stars}, {\bf 4}, 354

Zverev, M., 1937, {\it Russian Variable Stars}, {\bf 5}, 107

Zverev, M. S., and Makarenko, E. N., 1979, {\it Russian Variable Stars, Suppl.},
{\bf 3}, pp. 431, 440, 491, and 511

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