NIR brightening of the Gamma Ray Source 1ES 1215+303
ATel #3281; L. Carrasco, A. Carraminana, E. Recillas, G. Escobedo, A. Porras, D. Y. Mayya. (INAOE, Mexico)
on 14 Apr 2011; 11:47 UT
Credential Certification: LUIS CARRASCO (carrasco@inaoep.mx)
Subjects: Radio, Infra-Red, Gamma Ray, VHE, Request for Observations, AGN, Blazar, Quasar
Following the MAGIC collaboration detection of VHE Gamma Rays (Mariotti et al. 2011, Atel #3100) from the BL Lac object 1ES 1215+303, z=0.130 also known as TON0605, FBQS J1217+3007 and CGRaBSJ1217+3007. We incorporated this object into our NIR monitoring program of Gamma Ray bright AGNs. Now, we report on its recent brightening in the NIR. On April 13th, 2011 (JD 2455664.794132), we have detected a rather strong NIR source coincident with the radio position. We determined the flux from this object to correspond to H = 12.286 +/- 0.03. That is about 0.5 mag brighter than the flux value reported by the 2mass survey corresponding to H = 12.708 +/- 0.02 and our previous measurement H = 12.780 +/- 0.06 on JD 2455577.002060
Henceforth, this QSO has had a significant increase in flux by 60% in the last three months. Our observations were carried out with the 2.1m telescope of the Guillermo Haro Observatory of the National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (Mexico), equipped with the instrument CANICA a NIR camera. We encourage further multi wavelength coverage of the light curve of this object.
