[vsnet-alert 10363] 3C454.3 optical brightening

[Taichi Kato]

   Maehara-san has reported an optical flare of 3C 454.3:

  YYYYMMDD(UT)   mag  observer
  20080627.633  14.75:Ic (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080712.613  13.17Ic  (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080712.615  13.69Rc  (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080712.617  14.28V  (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080719.662  13.24Ic  (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080719.663  13.84Rc  (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080719.665  14.32V  (Hiroyuki Maehara)
  20080719.668  15.09B  (Hiroyuki Maehara)

   Also in ATEL #1625:

GASP detection of a bright optical flare and mm-cm activity from the blazar 3C 454.3 

ATel #1625; M. Villata and C. M. Raiteri (INAF, Osservatorio 
Astronomico di Torino, Italy), V. M. Larionov and E. N. Kopatskaya 
(Astronomical Institute, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia), M. 
A. Gurwell (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, MA, USA), K. 
Nilsson and M. Pasanen (Tuorla Observatory, Finland), M. Lister 
(Purdue University, USA) and the MOJAVE Collaboration, M. F. Aller, 
A. Arkharov, P. Calcidese, D. Carosati, W. P. Chen, E. Forn on 22 Jul 
2008; 11:30 UT Password Certification: Claudia M. Raiteri 
(raiteri at oato.inaf.it) 

Subjects: Radio, Millimeter, Infra-Red, Optical, AGN, Quasars 

The GLAST-AGILE Support Program (GASP) of the Whole Earth Blazar 
Telescope (WEBT) reports on the recent observation of a very bright 
optical flare from the blazar 3C 454.3. After a moderate flare in 
June 2008, the source rebrightened from R ~ 15 to ~ 13.4 between the 
end of June and mid July. Noticeable activity has been also observed 
in the near-IR (Campo Imperatore), at mm wavelengths (SMA), at 43 GHz 
(Noto) and 14.5 GHz (UMRAO). A VLBA intensity and polarization image 
of June 25 (MOJAVE) at 15 GHz is shown at 
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/2cmVLBA/data/2251+158/2008_06_25/2251+158.u.2008_06_25.pcn.jpg