A new outburst of the Be star V442 And = HD6226
ATel #11966; Olivier Thizy (Observatoire de la Belle Etoile, Revel, France)
on 18 Aug 2018; 14:22 UT
Credential Certification: S. N. Shore (shore@df.unipi.it)
Subjects: Optical, Request for Observations, Star, Variables
V442 And (= HD6226) has been monitored as part of an ongoing effort to understand its activity cycles. Since Jun. 2018 the star has been under scrutiny in an attempt to detect the initiation of an outburst. This Be star has undergone several spectroscopically active intervals in the past few years. Equipment used is a T0.28m telescope with R=10000 echelle spectrograph, Atik 460ex CCD camera, PRISM v10 software for acquisition and ISIS v5.8.0 for spectra reduction.
No substantial spectral changes were detected between Jun 27.089 and Aug 11.009 (33 spectra). However, the Halpha line showed a very significant increase in emission on Aug 14.997 (exposure time of 4800 sec, S/N > 50). Halpha line has shown drastic V/R changes every night since then.
Emission was not visible on Hbeta line on Aug 14.997 spectrum but was detected in emission with a 6000 sec spectrum taken on Aug t 15.966 as a single emission on the blueward of the absorption line. The Aug 15.966 spectrum is also showing a broad, weak blueshifted emission on Hgamma.
Further spectroscopic observations are strongly encouraged, especially across a broad wavelength range and at high resolution. Spectra are available at the BeSS Be Star Spectra database and further spectra submitted there as well.
BeSS Be Star Spectra database
