Photoelectric photometry of the M-supergiants,
Ori and
Her continue.
Ori has been monitored at Villanova by
Guinan and astronomy students since 1981. Analysis of this unique data
set is being made by Guinan and research associate David Steelman. The
star shows light variations on various timescales. The longest is the
4.2 yr period reported last year. Starting in mid-Oct 1994,
Ori showed a relatively rapid decline in brightness of about 0.5 mag,
which bottomed out early April 1995. By Sept. 1995, the star had
returned to near its original brightness. It appears that the star once
had a photometric period near 400 days. The light variability of
Her is being monitored with the 0.8m APT, and shows a 60-80 day
periodicity; this star also may have a longer period of the order of
several years. This photometric work is part of a coordinated effort of
FUV spectroscopy and ground-based radial velocity observations being
made by A. Dupree(CfA) and M. Smith (CSC).