RW Aur fading episode - monitoring requested
Abstract:
AAVSO Young Stellar Objects Special Interest Group Leader Mike Poxon (Great Plumstead, Norfolk, UK) writes: ”[Since late 2024 the classical T Tau star RW Aur] has declined about a magnitude and a half, and seems to be continuing, possibly with fluctuations.” Multicolor photometry is requested to monitor this event.
Justification:
“All wavebands are varying parallel with the visual, indicating obscuration by solid material (we know RW Aur has at least one planetesimal). In the recent past these fading episodes have been caused by violent processes in the system. RW Aur has a companion and at these times it seems to have tidally disrupted this second forming star and flung the material around the stellar environment.”
Requested Data Types:
Photometry
Targets
| Name | Magnitude | Variability Type | Photometry Notes | Spectroscopy Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RW Aur | 9.20 | CTTS/ROT+CTTS |
Cadence: Not Specified Precision: 100 |
Not Requested |
Spectroscopy Lines:
No spectroscopy lines provided
Photometry Filters:
U (Johnson), B (Johnson), V (Johnson), R (Cousins), I (Cousins), u (Sloan), g (Sloan), r (Sloan), i (Sloan), z (Sloan)
Comparison Stars:
Finder charts with comparison stars may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (VSP, https://apps.aavso.org/vsp/).
Co-Authorship
Observers are eligible for co-authorship.
Additional Observer Input:
Please observe RW Aur nightly in as many bands as possible at least until the dimming episode is over, preferably continuing for at least a few months after that. Visual observations are welcome.
Additional Submission Location:
Not provided
Forum URL
https://forums.aavso.org/t/observing-campaign-884-rw-aur-fading-episode-monitoring-requested/1851
Notes:
The interesting light curve of RW Aur may be viewed using the AAVSO Light Curve Generator (https://www.aavso.org/LCGv2/).