Disk precession and quasi-periodic brightness oscillations of V603 Aql in 2001–2002

We present the photometric observations of the old nova V603 Aql with the RTT 150 Russian-Turkish telescope during eleven nights of 2001–2002. We show that the star at this time was in a state with positive superhumps and its photometric period of \(0\mathop .\limits^d 144 - 0\mathop .\limits^d 145\) was longer than the orbital period. We found night-to-night variations in the mean brightness of the system that are consistent with disk precession periods of \(3\mathop .\limits^d 3\) and \(3\mathop .\limits^d 0\) in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Analysis of the results and their comparison with the results of other authors using current theoretical models for disk precession lead us to suggest that the change in the disk precession period was caused by a change in the accretion rate in the system. V603 Aql in a state with negative superhumps was found to be brighter than it is in a state with positive superhumps by \(0\mathop .\limits^m 2 - 0\mathop .\limits^m 3\). We hypothesize that the transition between these states could also be caused by a change in the accretion rate. Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of the brightness with typical time scales of 9–70 min were detected on each observing night. These time scales were found to change from night to night. The detection of QPOs with a period of about 0.05 of the orbital period and its multiples on certain nights provides evidence for the model of QPO generation through accretion-rate modulation by ionization-front oscillations on the surface of the donor star near the inner Lagrangian point.     

UGC 5119: A galaxy with a stellar polar ring?

We present our photometric BV R_c observations of UGC 5119, a candidate polar-ring galaxy. We have determined its absolute magnitude, \(M_{0,B} = - 20\mathop m\limits_. 3\), and total color indices, \((B - V)_t^0 = + 0\mathop m\limits_. 73 \pm 0\mathop m\limits_. 10\) and \((V - R_c )_t^0 = + 0\mathop m\limits_. 54 \pm 0\mathop m\limits_. 10\). A Fourier analysis of the shape of its isophotes shows that UGC 5119 is most likely an elliptical galaxy with a disk component in the central part and a “boxy” feature on the periphery. At distances larger than 8″, the galaxy exhibits a turn of its major axis and a change in the phase of the fourth harmonic. Assuming the position angle of the major axis to be constant, a stellar ringlike structure is distinguished in the galaxy. The age of the ring stars is the same as that of the stars in the host galaxy. The distinguished ringlike structure cannot be attributed to typical polar rings rich in gas and in young stars.     

Photometric Study of Comet C/2014 S2 (PANSTARRS) After the Perihelion

We analyzed the BVR photometry of comet C/2014 S2 obtained between March and June 2016, in observatories installed in Europe and the United States. Using the Lomb–Scargle periodogram, we found that the most probable periodicity deduced from the V-band magnitudes is 2.70 days, suggesting that it is the period of rotation of the nucleus of this comet is \(2.70 \pm 0.07\) days or \(68 \pm 2\) h, with a peak-to-peak light curve amplitude of \(0.4 \pm 0.1\) magnitudes. We verify that the absolute magnitude \(H_0\) and the activity index n differ from each other when they are calculated from the visual or CCD magnitudes. Considering the absolute magnitude \(H_{v0}=\) 6.0, obtained from visual magnitudes, we estimate that the lower limit of nuclear radius is 1.3 km. Analyzing the variation of magnitude R with the photometric aperture, we suggest that the coma of this object was in steady-state within the time limits of our observational interval. The coma had a mean color index B–V\(=0.79\pm 0.22\), which is typical of active comets. Additionally, we have shown that the use of a variable photometric aperture, linked to geocentric distance, is probably unnecessary for the comet PANSTARRS .     

A photometric study of faint galaxies in the field of GRB 000926

We present our B, V, R_c, and I_c observations of a \(3'.6 \times 3'\) field centered on the host galaxy of GRB 000926 (α_2000.0=17^h04^m11^s, \(\delta _{2000.0} = + 51^ \circ 47'9\mathop .\limits^{''} 8\)). The observations were carried out on the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope using the SCORPIO instrument. The catalog of galaxies detected in this field includes 264 objects for which the signal-to-noise ratio is larger than 5 in each photometric band. The following limiting magnitudes in the catalog correspond to this limitation: 26.6 (B), 25.7 (V), 25.8 (R), and 24.5 (I). The differential galaxy counts are in good agreement with previously published CCD observations of deep fields. We estimated the photometric redshifts for all of the cataloged objects and studied the color variations of the galaxies with z. For luminous spiral galaxies with M(B)z～1.     

The Brightness Temperature of the Quiet Solar Chromosphere at 2.6 mm

The absolute brightness temperature of the Sun at millimeter wavelengths is an important diagnostic of the solar chromosphere. Because the Sun is so bright, measurement of this property usually involves the operation of telescopes under extreme conditions and requires a rigorous performance assessment of the telescope. In this study, we establish solar observation and calibration techniques at 2.6 mm wavelength for the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and accurately derive the absolute solar brightness temperature. We tune the superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) receiver by inducing different bias voltages onto the SIS mixer to prevent saturation. Then, we examine the linearity of the receiver system by comparing outputs derived from different tuning conditions. Furthermore, we measure the lunar filled beam efficiency of the telescope using the New Moon, and then derive the absolute brightness temperature of the Sun. The derived solar brightness temperature is \(7700 \pm 310~\mbox{K}\) at 115 GHz. The telescope beam pattern is modeled as a summation of three Gaussian functions and derived using the solar limb. The real shape of the Sun is determined via deconvolution of the beam pattern from the observed map. Such well-calibrated single-dish observations are important for high-resolution chromospheric studies because they provide the absolute temperature scale that is lacking from interferometer observations.     

Photospheric and chromospheric activity of the short period X-ray and Algol eclipsing binary UX CrB

We present six \(\mbox{V}R_{c}I_{c}\) light curves of UX CrB from observations carried out from 2011–2015. We also obtained three optical spectra using the 2.16-m optical telescope and LAMOST survey at the national astronomical observatories. We classified its spectral type as \(\mbox{G2}\pm\mbox{2V}\). We noticed that there are strong absorptions in the H_α, H_β, Ca ii H&K and infrared triplet lines in the observed spectra. By subtracting away the photospheric contribution, we also noticed that there are small excess emissions in these chromospheric active lines, which indicate there are weak chromospheric activities. We tried and obtained four photometric solutions with different spot positions from our full and high time-resolution light curves in 2012, using the updated Wilson-Devinney code. The model with two spots on the primary produced the best result for explaining the observed light curves from 2012. Moreover, we explained all other light curves based on our photometric solution using our 2012 light curves. There are two active longitudes at about 68^° and 255^°. We noticed that the starspots have both long-time (years) and short-time (about two months) variation by analyzing the light curves and its starspot parameters. There is also an obvious oscillation of light curve maximum between 0.25 and 0.75 phases by analyzing the values of \(\mbox{Max.~I} - \mbox{Max.~II}\). We conclude UX CrB are the evolved main-sequence stars with strong photometric and chromospheric activities.     

A photometric study of the star V1016 Ori

New photoelectric UBVRI observations of the eclipsing variable V 1016 Ori have been obtained with the AZT-11 telescope at Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and with the Zeiss-600 telescope at Mount Maidanak Observatory. Light curves are constructed from the new observations and from published and archival data. We use a total of 340, 348, 386, 185, and 62 magnitude estimates in the bands from U to I, respectively. An analysis of these data has yielded the following results. The photometric elements were refined; their new values are $Min I = JDH 2441966.820 + 65\mathop .\limits^d 4331E$ . The UBVRI magnitudes outside eclipse were found to be $5\mathop .\limits^m 95$ , $6\mathop .\limits^m 77$ , $6\mathop .\limits^m 75$ , $6\mathop .\limits^m 68$ , and $6\mathop .\limits^m 16$ , respectively. No phase effect was detected. We obtained two light-curve solutions: (1) assuming that the giant star was in front of the small one during eclipse, we determined the stellar radii, r _s=0.0141 and r _g=0.0228 (in fractions of the semimajor axis of the orbit); and (2) assuming that the small star was in front of the giant one, we derived r _g=0.0186 and r _s=0.0180 for the V band. The brightness of the primary star in the bands from U to I is L ₁=0.96, 0.92, 0.90, 0.89, and 0.88, the orbital inclination is $i = 87^\circ .1$ , and the maximum eclipse phase is α₀= 0.66. In both cases, we accepted the U hypothesis, assumed the orbit to be elliptical, and took into account the flux from the star Θ¹ Ori E that fell within the photometer aperture. The first solution leads to a discrepancy between the primary radius determined by solving the light curve and the radial-velocity curve and its value estimated from the luminosity and temperature. This discrepancy is eliminated in the second solution, and it turns out that, by all parameters, the primary corresponds to a normal zero-age main-sequence star.     

Problems of CCD Photometry of Fast-Moving Asteroids

The problems associated with the photometry of fast-moving asteroids are discussed. The effect of noise in CCD observations on the photometric accuracy is analyzed. A photometric accuracy limitation is shown to exist for observations of asteroids, which is determined by the angular rate of the object and the ratio of the flux from the object and noise due to sky background and dark current. The effective exposure for observing a moving object is determined. The method of overlapping areas is analyzed, which is used for obtaining the lightcurves of fast-moving asteroids. This method includes the determination of the mutual magnitude differences for the entire ensemble of comparison stars, the reduction of the magnitudes of all these stars to the magnitude of one of them adopted as the primary comparison star, the determination of the magnitude of the average star on each frame of the entire series of CCD observations, and the computation of the lightcurve as the difference between the magnitude of the asteroid and that of the average star.     

The candidate protoplanetary object IRAS 22223+4327 is a pulsating variable star

We present our photoelectric U BV observations of the candidate protoplanetary object IRAS 22223+4327 during four visibility seasons. The star exhibited periodic brightness variations with the maximum amplitudes \(\Delta U = 0\mathop .\limits^m 23, \Delta B = 0\mathop .\limits^m 18, and \Delta V = 0\mathop .\limits^m 12\) and a time scale of about 90 days, which is equal to the period derived by other authors from radial velocities. During these brightness variations, a correlation is observed between the (B-V) color index and brightness, which is characteristic of pulsations. We estimated the star’s spectral type from our photometric data to be F8 I. We detected a “deficit” of light in the U band. The star’s mean brightness and its spectral type appear to have not changed in the past half a century.     

Photometric calibration of the LASCO-C2 coronagraph for Solar System objects

We present a photometric calibration of the SOHO/LASCO-C2 coronagraph appropriate to Solar System objects based on the extensive analysis of all stars down to magnitude V=8 which transited its field-of-view during the past nine years of operation (1996-2004). An automatic procedure was developed to analyze some 143,000 images, and to detect, locate and measure those stars. Aperture photometry was performed using three different aperture sizes and the zero points of the photometric transformations between the LASCO-C2 magnitudes for its three filters (orange, blue and red) and the standard V magnitudes were determined after introducing a correction for the color of the stars. The calibration coefficients for the surface photometry of extended sources were then derived from the zero points. An analysis of their temporal evolution indicates a slight decrease of the sensitivity of LASCO-C2 at a rate of ∼0.7% per year.     

A wide-field corrector at the prime focus of a Ritchey-Chrétien telescope

We propose a form of a lens corrector at the prime focus of a hyperboloidal mirror that provides a flat field of view up to 3° in diameter at image quality D₈₀<0.8 arcsec in integrated (0.32–1.1 µm) light. The corrector consists of five lenses made of fused silica. All lens surfaces are spherical in shape, so the system is capable of achieving better images, if necessary, by aspherizing the surfaces. The optical system of the corrector is stable in the sense that its principal features are retained when optimized after significant perturbations of its parameters. As an example, we calculated three versions of the corrector for the Blanco 4-m telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory with \(2\mathop .\limits^ \circ 12\), \(2\mathop .\limits^ \circ 4\) and \(3\mathop .\limits^ \circ 0\) fields of view.     

CCD <Emphasis Type="Italic">UBV</Emphasis> photometric study of five open clusters—Dolidze 36, NGC 6728, NGC 6800, NGC 7209, and Platais 1

In this study, we present CCD UBV photometry of poorly studied open star clusters, Dolidze 36, NGC 6728, NGC 6800, NGC 7209, and Platais 1, located in the first and second Galactic quadrants. Observations were obtained with T100, the 1-m telescope of the TÜB?TAK National Observatory. Using photometric data, we determined several astrophysical parameters such as reddening, distance, metallicity and ages and from them, initial mass functions, integrated magnitudes and colours. We took into account the proper motions of the observed stars to calculate the membership probabilities. The colour excesses and metallicities were determined independently using two-colour diagrams. After obtaining the colour excesses of the clusters Dolidze 36, NGC 6728, NGC 6800, NGC 7209, and Platais 1 as \(0.19\pm0.06\), \(0.15\pm0.05\), \(0.32\pm0.05\), \(0.12\pm 0.04\), and \(0.43\pm0.06\) mag, respectively, the metallicities are found to be \(0.00\pm0.09\), \(0.02\pm0.11\), \(0.03\pm0.07\), \(0.01\pm0.08\), and \(0.01\pm0.08\) dex, respectively. Furthermore, using these parameters, distance moduli and age of the clusters were also calculated from colour-magnitude diagrams simultaneously using PARSEC theoretical models. The distances to the clusters Dolidze 36, NGC 6728, NGC 6800, NGC 7209, and Platais 1 are \(1050\pm90\), \(1610\pm190\), \(1210\pm150\), \(1060\pm90\), and \(1710\pm250\) pc, respectively, while corresponding ages are \(400\pm100\), \(750\pm150\), \(400\pm100\), \(600\pm100\), and \(175\pm50\) Myr, respectively. Our results are compatible with those found in previous studies. The mass function of each cluster is derived. The slopes of the mass functions of the open clusters range from 1.31 to 1.58, which are in agreement with Salpeter’s initial mass function. We also found integrated absolute magnitudes varying from ?4.08 to ?3.40 for the clusters.     

A purely reflective large wide-field telescope

Two versions of a fast, purely reflective Paul-Baker-type telescope are discussed, each with an 8.4-m aperture, 3° diameter flat field and f/1.25 focal ratio. The first version is based on a common, even asphere type of surface with zero conic constant. The primary and tertiary mirrors are 6th order aspheres, while the secondary mirror is an 8th order asphere (referred to here for brevity, as the 6/8/6 configuration). The D ₈₀ diameter of a star image varies from 0″.18 on the optical axis up to 0″.27 at the edge of the field (9.3–13.5 μm). The second version of the telescope is based on a polysag surface type, which uses a polynomial expansion in the sag z, 1 $$ r^2 = 2R_0 z - \left( {1 + b} \right)z^2 + a_3 z^3 + a_4 z^3 + a_4 z^4 + \ldots + a_N z^N $$ instead of the common form of aspheric surface. This approach results in somewhat better images, with D ₈₀ ranging from 0″.16 to 0″.23, using a lower-order 3/4/3 combination of powers for the mirror surfaces. An additional example with 3.5-m aperture, 3°.5 diameter flat field, and f/1.25 focal ratio featuring near-diffraction-limited image quality is also presented.     

Observations of Three Stellar Occultations by Comet Hale–Bopp

On June 12 1996 UT, three 11–12 R magnitude stars were occulted by comet Hale–Bopp. The passage of these stars through the cometary atmosphere was monitored at the Observatorio do Pico dos Dias (Brazil) using a 0.6 m telescope. We detected an absorption of starlight by the comet dust implying in a drop of \((6\pm 1) \times 10^{-2}\) magnitude of occulted star XPM 152-0898466 at a minimum distance of (\(4.3 \pm 0.2)\times 10^{4}\) km from the central condensation. This result, combined with magnitude variations of other stars, suggests the detection of a jet in the coma. From our measurement of extinction, we infer that the opacity of the nucleus surface was \(\tau \sim 3\). The mean geometric albedo p of dust grains is \((4.5 \pm 0.7) \times 10^{-3}\). This low albedo may suggest a difference in the grain population associated to coma and jets.     

Optical spectroscopy of candidates for quasars at 3 &lt; <Emphasis Type="Italic">z</Emphasis> &lt; 5.5 from the XMM-newton X-ray survey. A distant X-ray quasar at <Emphasis Type="Italic">z</Emphasis> = 5.08

We present the results of optical spectroscopy for 19 quasar candidates at photometric redshifts z _phot ? 3, 18 of which enter into the Khorunzhev et al. (2016) catalog (K16). This is a catalog of quasar candidates and known type 1 quasars selected among the X-ray sources of the 3XMM-DR4 catalog of the XMM-Newton serendipitous survey. We have performed spectroscopy for a quasi-random sample of new candidates at the 1.6-m AZT-33IK telescope of the Sayan Solar Observatory and the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. The spectra at AZT-33IK were taken with the new low- and medium-resolution ADAM spectrograph that was produced and installed on the telescope in 2015. Fourteen of the 18 candidates actually have turned out to be quasars; 10 of them are at spectroscopic redshifts z _spec > 3. The high purity of the sample of new candidates suggests that the purity of the entire K16 catalog of quasars is probably 70–80%. One of the most distant (z _spec = 5.08) optically bright (i′ ? 21) quasars ever detected in X-ray surveys has been discovered.     

Apsidal motion in the eclipsing binary AS Cam

Multi-colourWBVR photoelectric observations of the eclipsing binary AS Cam have been carried out and the photometric elements, absolute dimensions, and the angular velocity of a periastron motion ( \(\mathop \omega \limits^ \cdot _{obs}\) ) are determined. The obtained value of \(\mathop \omega \limits^ \cdot _{obs}\) is almost three times smaller than that theoretically predicted.     

Photometry and spectroscopy of the luminous red nova PSNJ14021678+5426205 in the galaxy M101

We present the results of the study of a red nova from the observations carried out with the Russian 6-m telescope (BTA) along with other telescopes of SAO RAS and SAI MSU. To investigate the nova progenitor,we used the data from the Digital Sky Survey and amateur photos available on the Internet. In the period between April 1993 and July 2014, the brightness of the progenitor gradually increased by \(2_ \cdot ^m 2\) in the V-band. At the peak of the first outburst in mid-November 2014, the star reached an absolute visual magnitude of \(- 12_ \cdot ^m 75\) but was discovered later, in February 2015, in a repeated outburst at the magnitude of \(- 11_ \cdot ^m 65\). The amplitude of the outburst was minimum among the red novae, only \(5_ \cdot ^m 6\) in V-band. The Hα emission line and the background of a cool supergiant continuum with gradually decreasing surface temperature were observed in the spectra. Such process is typical for red novae, although the object under study showed extreme parameters: maximum luminosity, maximum outburst duration, minimum outburst amplitude, unusual shape of the light curve. This event is interpreted as a massive OB star system components’merging accompanied by formation of a common envelope and then the expansion of this envelope with minimal energy losses.