The Be Star Newsletter, Volume 39 - May 2007

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Mu Centauri extremely bright! Sebastian Otero CEA & Grupo Wezen 1 88, Buenos Aires, Argentina email:  varsao@fullzero.com.ar Received: May 22, 2007;  Accepted: May 25, 2007 Dear Be-star colleagues, Two bright Be stars are currently in a bright state. Mu Centauri had been quiet in the last decade but woke up in 2006 with a bright outburst (V=3.1) (Otero 2006). The star remained brighter than normal for at least 45 days, declining to its quiescent state with some oscillations. A new outburst has begun around May 15, 2007 and the star is around V=3.15--3.2 on May 20. Lightcurve: http://ar.geocities.com/varsao/Curva_Mu_Cen.htm Chi Ophiuchi had spent several years at its maximum magnitude of V=4.2 but started declining in the middle of 2002. After two years around V=4.7 it has rapidly brightened and it is now around its bright state (V=4.3 on May 20). If this is just a short-term brightening or if the star is going to spend years at V=4.2 as it did in the last decade it is something we will only know with more observations. Lightcurve: http://ar.geocities.com/varsao/Curva_Chi_Oph.htm References: Otero, S. 2006, The Be Star Newsletter, Vol. 38 http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~dam3ma/benews/volume38/whap/otero0.html Best wishes, Sebastian Otero