Mira - a Bright Star in Cetus

Hi,

Mira is now having a bright maximum. On Oct 16/17 2010 I estimated
it as mag 2.9. This makes it the third brighest star in Cetus. Will it overtake Alpha Ceti? - only time and observations will tell!

See www.variablestarnights.net for my image taken on that night.

See www.aavso.org for charts and astro-physical info.

I would be glad to receive any estimates etc.

John

John - I'd try and give it a go with the CCD but the moon is not co-operating... Would it still be worth looking at it over the coming weeks?

Hi Dave,

A CCD would not be great for Mira at the moment, as the star is too bright and any comparisons are many degrees away. However when Mira gets near minimum (about 9th mag) you could try.

The best way to estimate Mira now is with your naked-eye or with PEP. As you said avoid the bright moonlit nights,

John

John - what's PEP?

I was was thinking I could possibly shoot it with a filter (B,V, R or I) and use some nearby standard fields (Landolt or Henden). It would give me an excuse to start getting into serious photometric reductions (zero points and extinctions etc).

Hi Gents, here is the info on PEP

www.aavso.org/content/aavso-photoelectri...otometry-pep-program

I hope it helps, I see from the latest visual obs it is stil at 2.8 - 2.9 magnitude...

www.aavso.org/ql/results?auid=000-BBD-706&startjd=2455401.33062

It's cloudy for me tonight, so no luck getting an estimate as yet....

Keith..

Hi,

CCD Photometry of very bright stars can be tricky. A useful reference is the AAVSO CCD Manual available at:
www.aavso.org/ccd-observing-manual

Also for short exposure photometry see the AAVSO discussion at:
mira.aavso.org/pipermail/aavso-photometr...04-July/subject.html

PEP is photo-electric photometry. This is the 'old' way of doing Photomerty, still more accurate for bright stars - no flats, darks, etc.

Some people have started to get good results using DSLRs, the problem here is getting a magnitude very near to the standard system.

good luck with your photometry,
John