THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 758 1993 July 18 14.11UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 TELEX: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 GMH at UK.AC.RUTHERFORD.STARLINK.ASTROPHYSICS STARLINK: RLSAC::GMH GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK STARLINK: CAVAD::GMH ------------------------------------------------------------------- ORFEUS MISSION Gary Poyner e-mails: "Astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, California will be observing some dwarf novae and magnetic novalike variable stars during the forthcoming ORFEUS (Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph) mission, and have asked for our assistance. The missions primary goal is to observe stars that emit most of their light in the ultraviolet band of the electromagnetic spectrum. The mission is expected to last for 5 days. Below is a list of their primary observing targets during the mission. Star Range RX And 10.3-14.5 VW Hyi 8.4-14.4 Z Cam 10.2-13.8 AM Her 12.4-15.3 SS Cyg 8.1-12.4 RU Peg 9.4-13.1 Please monitor these stars between now and the end of the mission or the end of July (which ever is later), and telephone or e-mail your observations of outbursts of dwarf novae (or activity in the case AM Her) to Gary Poyner on: Tel Int:+44 21 350 4312; UK 021-350-4312 BHVAD UK.AC.Bham.SR.Star The telephone number is available all night for the reporting of such outbursts. In addition to this list, if any other of the brighter dwarf novae reach magnitude 12 or above, please report these also. V344 LYRAE Gary Poyner, Birmingham e-mails his detection of a faint outburst of this UG star which has been confirmed by John Day, Leicester: 1993 July 7.963UT, [14.8 (Poyner); 9.946, 15.1 (Poyner); 9.981, 15.1 (Day); 10.961, 15.3 (Poyner). NO SUPERNOVAE 1993U AND 1993V A. V. Filippenko, T. Matheson, and L. C. Ho, University of California at Berkeley, report that fully calibrated CCD spectra (range 320-1000 nm) obtained on June 28 UT with the Shane 3-m reflector at Lick Observatory reveal that SNe 1993U and 1993V (cf. IAUC 5818) are actually quasi-stellar objects (QSO). IAUC 5829 UK NOVA/SUPERNOVA PATROL Effective today, observations of recurrent objects (as listed on that part of the programme) should be sent to Gary Poyner whereas novae, supernovae and suspected variables should be reported to the main Editor. Separate newly designed forms for the monthly reports are available on e-mail request.