High optical activity of the OJ287 blazar
ATel #13637; S. Zola, (Jagiellonian Univ., Poland), D. E. Reichart, V. Kouprianov (UNC, USA), M. Drozdz, W. Ogloza, G. Stachowski (Mt. Suhora Observatory, Poland), A. Slowikowska (NCU in Torun, Poland), D. B. Caton (Appalachian State Univ., USA), D. Kubicki (Warsaw Univ., Poland)
on 15 Apr 2020; 20:12 UT
Credential Certification: Staszek Zola (szola@oa.uj.edu.pl)
Subjects: Optical, AGN, Blazar, Quasar
Regular monitoring of the blazar OJ287 during the 2019/2020 observing
season has revealed light variations in the 15.3-14.2 mag range (wide
band R filter). These observations are being performed with small
(40-60cm range) telescopes in Poland and the Skynet Robotic Telescope
Network located in Chile, Australia and the USA.
Since JD 2458917.372365 (March 8th) we have recorded a rise in the
brightness of OJ287 from 14.948 (+-0.012) mag to 14.151 (+-0.020) mag
on the night of March 24/25th. Following two dips of amplitude about 0.2 mag,
the rise in brightness of the blazar resumed on April 11th, reaching
13.996 (+-0.023) mag on JD 2458954.96283.
Successive polarimetric measurements of OJ287 taken with the 60cm Mt. Suhora
telescope showed a high degree of polarization of 15.1 (+-0.4), 22.1 (+-0.8),
11.7 (+-1.3) and 12.7 (+-1.4) percent on March 26th, April 1, 6 and 7,
respectively.
High PD may indicate that the current activity is due to the jet.
LC of OJ287 gathered during the 2019/20 season
