Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi Update

Since my Aug 9 observation of RS Oph, the AAVSO alert notice was published by Sara Beck: Alert Notice 752: Rare Outburst of Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi. My 4.5 visual estimate was listed there along with others from Australia, Brazil, the UK, the US, Belgium and Russia.

The next night was cloudy and wet, but there were enough clear periods tonight for another estimate, 5.7 visual, as shown below:

The last 2 years of RS Oph visual data (including photometry from CCDs, DSLRs)

The next two plots show more detail:

The last week of RS Oph visual data
The last few days of RS Oph visual data

I suggested in my last post that based upon previous outbursts, RS Oph will have reduced by 1 magnitude in 2 days, which it has done. A little more actually, from 4.4 on Aug 9 to 5.7 on Aug 11.

These objects are a reminder that we live in a violent, ever changing universe.

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