Observing Campaign #868: Photometry of BZ Camelopardalis in support of HST, Chandra, Multiwavelength observing Campaign

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Abstract: BZ Cam is a novalike cataclysmic variable system (of type VY Sculptoris) found mostly in a state of high accretion rate when the accretion disk dominates the light (ultraviolet optical) system and from time to time (every 10 years or more) it goes into a low state when the mass accretion rate decreases and the luminosity of the disk drops significantly. Its luminosity exhibits orbital modulations as well other small amplitude variations on longer time-scales. It is now the target of a multiwavelength campaign to be observed in the X-ray (with the Chandra telescope), Ultraviolet (with HST), Optical and Radio (with ground-based large telescopes). The aim is to study the accretion disk - it emits in the X-ray band where it “touches” the star, in the ultraviolet in the vicinity of the star and in the optical further out. This is one of the only cataclysmic variable systems clearly showing a bow shock nebula, an indication that there is a strong outflow of matter.

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TESS light curve.

…and other one.

Hi, upload observation in the AAVSO database is sufficient or the observatons has to be uploaded here?

PS the link to the campaign detail is broken, there is a /v2 to remove :slight_smile:

Please continue to submit your data to the AID as normal.

Hi, I uploaded an almost 3-hour transformed series in B and V.

SNR > 100
Mean Mag. V 13.211

Greetings and clear skies!

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Thank you for all the data that you have collected so far on BZ Cam.
I just wanted to let you know that the HST visit (`window’) to observe BZ Cam has now been confirmed to be between Sep 23 and Sep 26, 2024.
X-ray Chandra observations of BZ Cam will be carried out during that same week as originally planned.

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Thanks again for all those who have been observing BZ Cam and contributing
optical monitoring data.
The HST visit on September 24th hit a snag.
It was supposed to collect data for two spectra, one in the shorter wavelengths
of the ultraviolet and the other one in the longer wavelength of the UV.
In the middle of the observations, HST lost track of the guide star and the
shutter automatically closed. As a result only the short wavelengths UV
spectrum as obtained.
I have requested a “repeat” to obtain the second spectrum and as of now
it is planned around the 20th of October (no exact date yet).
It would be really nice and helpful if we could obtain some more optical
monitoring data during this month, to ensure that BZ Cam remains in its current state when the second HST UV spectrum is obtained.
The Chandra X-ray observations of BZ Cam were carried out without any problem on Sept. 25th.
Thank you very much!