Exoplanets
IF and ONLY IF you were alerted that nova T CrB is erupting now, observe it immediately and as often as possible with this deeplink.
(Otherwise, scroll down for normal observing instructions.)
Pick Your Cosmic Cataclysm from the Latest Alerts!
Cataclysmic events are happening every night somewhere in the observable Universe. Our goal is to catch them.
Be the first to observe a transient event like a supernova, gamma-ray burst, or maybe a phenomenon as yet unknown to humanity. These cosmic happenings are unpredictable and short-lived, so we need to observe them as soon as they appear.
The table below lists the latest targets to appear: Pick your favorite(s) and start observing!
If you are new to this, please read the Tutorial first.
When you are done observing, click here to report your observation with a short form.
Go get 'em!
Highest Priority Cosmic Cataclysm Targets
- T CrB - Observe nightly! Deeplink - Visible from both hemispheres. T CrB is a long-term recurrent nova target that we are watching for an upcoming eruption expected anytime from now to 2026. We want to catch it the moment it erupts and starts to brighten. Observing details in table below.
Variable Star Targets with AAVSO
The Unistellar Network is collaborating with AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) to observe variable stars in the Milky Way. The active targets are:
- T CrB - Observe nightly - Both Hemispheres. Major target. See "High Priority" target above for details.
- LY CMa - Observe at least once per night until 1 February: Deeplink - Both Hemispheres. LY CMa is one of a relatively small number of eruptive High Mass X-ray Binary systems. These objects are notoriously under-studied in visible light, despite their interesting variability. This particular star has virtually no information about it other than a magnitude range. Because of this uncertainty we would like to search for signs of its companion star in its light curve and also to catch an outburst if possible.
- WR 140 - Observe once per night until 1 February: Deeplink - Northern Hemisphere. WR 140 is an eccentric binary with a Wolf-Rayet star (shedding its gas very quickly) and an O-type star (the most massive, most luminous, & hottest class) in an ~8 year orbit. These two stars will be at their point of closest approach (known as periastron) in November 2024. Every periastron passage is different, but there will be significant changes in the light curve both leading up to and just after periastron. Combining our optical data with that taken in multiple other wavelength regimes can give a more comprehensive picture of the detailed binary and stellar wind physics taking place.
- PQ Ser - Observe once per night until 25 March: Deeplink - Both Hemispheres. PQ Ser is an object with a long and confusing history. Once thought to be a cataclysmic variable (nova), newer data showed no indications of eruptions. The star's clear variability was then attributed to stellar pulsations. These claims, though, necessitate more proof. With our observations we hope to disentangle the mystery of the variability.
- HD 38623 - Observe multiple times per night until 1 May: Deeplink - Both Hemispheres. HD 38623 is a confusingly unknown star. It is quite bright at 8th magnitude with over a tenth of a magnitude of variability, but it has no confirmed variability type. This is likely because it was discovered using the Chandra X-ray telescope's guide star catalog, which is biased towards shorter periods. Still, for such a bright object, no one has looked at it in detail. We want to change that with our observations and uncover the source of variability in this star.
The IGR J00370+6122, TX Del, S Vul, CV Ser, V729 Cyg, and V0646 Cas observing campaigns are complete. Thank you!
Cosmic Alert Targets
After the priority targets listed above, the highest priority Cosmic Cataclysm targets are at the top of the table (with the most recent "Discovered" date). But we still want to collect observations for all targets in this table.
Visibility note: If your observing location's latitude is within +/- 70 degrees of the target's "Dec" value (its first number), then the target is likely visible to you. The closer your latitude is to the Dec, the higher in the sky the target will rise for you. Maps are being developed to make determining visibility easier.
If you use a deeplink or RA & Dec coordinates from the table below and have a level tripod, your telescope should be on target. There is no requirement to compare your field of view with a finder image.
