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Optical flaring in the blazar OJ 287

ATel #2314; Alok C. Gupta (ARIES, Nainital, INDIA), Haritma Gaur (ARIES, Nainital, INDIA), Bindu Rani (ARIES, Nainital, INDIA)
on 26 Nov 2009; 03:31 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Request For Observations
Credential Certification: Dr. Alok C. Gupta (acgupta30@gmail.com)

Subjects: Optical, AGN, Quasar

The blazar class of active galactic nuclei (AGN), which is composed of BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), is characterized by extreme variability across the electromagnetic spectrum. Here we report our recent optical observations of the blazar OJ 287 with ARIES CCD camera mounted on the 1.04 meter telescope, located in Nainital, India. OJ 287 is one of the most extensively observed blazar in the optical bands. Its optical light curve over the interval of 1891-1995 shows eight major outbursts with a time difference of ~ 12 years (see Fig. 2 of Sillanpaa et al. 1996a). The most recent cyclic outbursts were observed in the blazar in 1995 and 1996 (Sillanpaa et al. 1996b). So, the next expected outburst in the blazar was expected in 2007 and for that an intense multi-wavelength monitoring campaign of the blazar was started in late 2005 by WEBT (http://www.to.astro.it/blazars/webt/) (whole earth blazar telescope). But the outburst in the blazar was not detected. Here from our optical observations on 21st and 22nd Nov. 2009 of the blazar, we found that at present this blazar is in flaring state. The brightness observed by us on 21st Nov. 2009 are (B = 14.983+-0.007, V = 14.504+-0.006, R = 14.123+-0.007, I = 13.514+-0.006) and on 22nd Nov. 2009 (B = 14.988+-0.008, V = 14.543+-0.010, R = 14.120+-0.007, I = 13.474+-0.010) is close to the brightest state observed in the cyclic outburst observed in the blazar in 1995 and 1996 (e.g. see Fig. 2 of Pursimo et al. 2000). So, we call attention to the blazar community to monitor the source in mullt-wavelengths. References Pursimo, T. et al. 2000, A&AS, 146, 141 Sillanpaa, A. et al. 1996a, A&A, 305, L17 Sillanpaa, A. et al. 1996b, A&A, 315, L13