66 Ophiuchi Decides to "Be" (Abstract)

Volume 41 number 1 (2013)

John Martin

University of Illinois at Springfield Observatory, One University Plaza, MS HSB 314, Springfield, IL 62704; jmart5@uis.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) 66 Oph was first identified as a Be star by Merrill and Burwell (1933, Contrib. Mt. Wilson Obs., No. 471, 1). Normally its spectrum exhibits pronounced Balmer line emission with some short-term variability. In the 1950s the emission disappeared and returned within a few years. When the emission started decreasing in 1993 and disappeared in 2009, Miroshnichenko et al. (2011, Be Star Newsl., No. 40, 42.) predicted a similar recovery. Here we present the results to date of spectroscopic monitoring of 66 Oph through its “low” state and report that it appears to be on the verge of resuming an active Be status.