Author Archives: Gustav Holmberg
Lightcurve: T Cep
First in the series of posts on lightcurves is T Cep, which has become one of my favorite variables. It is circumpolar, which is always a nice thing – no season gaps in the light curve. Also, it clears the … Continue reading
Lightcurves
I’ve been observing variables since late October 2011 (plus a stint as a variable observer as a student in the late 1980’s), so for some variables I have now collected so many observations that I can plot light curves spanning … Continue reading
Nova Delphini 2013
Koichi Itagaki has discovered a bright nova in Delphinus. After spectroscopic confirmation, it got the official designation Nova Delphini 2013. At first, the sky over Lund was cloudy. I waited and waited, but at about 02 local time (00 UT) … Continue reading
Bright supernova
I observed SN 2013DY tonight: July 20.928 UT, 13.1.
A new Algol variable
H. Bengtsson, P. Hallsten, A. Hemlin, G. Holmberg, T. Karlsson, R. Wahlström, T. Wikander, “V2331 Cygni is an Algol Variable With Deep Eclipses”, has just been published in JAAVSO. Read it here.
Variable star observers meet in Gothenburg
I spent last weekend attending the 2013 spring meeting of SAAF/V, the variable star section of SAAF, the Swedish association of amateur astronomers. First, variable star observer extraordinaire Hans Bengtsson received SAAF’s Amateur Astronomy Award for his longtime work in … Continue reading
Värmland Star Party
I spent last weekend in lovely Lysvik, where the annual Värmland Star Party takes place under a dark sky. Everything was great! Got to meet interesting people, hear interesting talks – not the least Johan Warell’s on comets and how … Continue reading
Solar observing
I used to observe sunspots with my 60 mm refractor during the 1980s and reported the observations to the solar section of SAAF, the Swedish amateur astronomical association. Recently, my curiosity about what the sun is up to grew and … Continue reading
Nova Cephei 2013
I’ve complained about the dearth of northern novae, but now there’s one shining not exactly bright but still easily observed in Cepheus. I first heard about the object on the CBAT transients page some six hours after it had been … Continue reading
New RCB and DY Per variables
We live in exciting times, at least if one’s interests are RCB variables. Several of the better known RCB variables, including the DY Per subcategori, are in active states. SU Tau is presently below mag 17; Z UMi is emerging … Continue reading
