Optical outburst of 4C 38.41 (1633+382) observed by the GASP
ATel #3483; C. M. Raiteri and M. Villata (INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Italy), Sh. A. Ehgamberdiev, D. O. Mirzaqulov and Sh. Holikov (Maidanak Observatory, Uzbekistan), for the GASP Collaboration
on 11 Jul 2011; 14:57 UT
Credential Certification: Claudia M. Raiteri (raiteri@oato.inaf.it)
The GLAST-AGILE Support Program (GASP) of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) reports on the recent observation of a strong optical brightening of the gamma-loud quasar 4C 38.41. This is one of the 28 blazars for which the GASP performs a long-term, multiwavelength monitoring.
In the current optical observing season, the source has shown multiwavelength activity (see also ATels #3238, #3333, #3335, #3360), so that the GASP has intensified the observations with a dedicated campaign (contact person: C. M. Raiteri, raiteri@oato.inaf.it).
We report on observations carried out at the Mount Maidanak Observatory, according to which 4C 38.41, after several strong oscillations characterised by peaks of increasing brightness, reached R=14.9 on July 10.7 (UT). This is the same brightness level of the historical maximum observed at the Torino Observatory in 1995, and reported by Bosio et al. (IAU Circular No. 6183).
