[vsnet-alert 9230] V3600 LMC Approaching Minimum Brightness

[Peter F Williams]

Hello All,

The SDOR type variable V3600 LMC (R127, SK-69 202, HD269858, CPD-69 427) has
now returned to the same brightness it was when regular visual monitoring
commenced in 1983.

My visual data shows it steadily rose in brightness from magnitude 10.5 in
1983 November to a maximum 8.7 during 1988 August, remaining near this level
through to 1991 April.  A steady decline, with variations, then followed
until V3600 LMC reached magnitude 10.5 by 2006 October where it has remained
through to 2007 February.

Listed here are mean monthly magnitudes for the past 2 years from the visual
data, with the number of observations indicated in brackets:

2005 Jan     10.0 (2)
2005 Feb    10.0 (1)
2005 Mar   10.1 (4)
2005 Apr    10.0 (1)
2005 May   10.1 (1)
2005 Sept   10.1 (1)
2005 Oct    10.0 (1)
2006 Apr    10.2 (1)
2006 May   10.3 (3)
2006 June   10.4 (1)
2006 Oct    10.5 (1)
2006 Nov   10.5 (1)
2006 Dec    10.5 (2)
2007 Feb    10.5 (2)

V3600 LMC is the western star of a pair with R128 = V3604 LMC, both
apparently tight clusters but appearing stellar at low magnification in my
30cm telescope.  Coincidentally, V3600 LMC was near maximum at the time of
SN1987A outburst, the super nova lying some 15 arcmin north and a little to
west of this star.

Regards

Peter Williams
Heathcote NSW