[IAUC] CBET 1668: 20090121 : eta CARINAE

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 1668
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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eta CARINAE
     E. Fernandez-Lajus, Observatorio Astronomico de La Plata (Facultad
de Ciencias Astronomicas y Geofisicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata,
Argentina), on behalf of the "La Plata eta Carinae" monitoring group, reports
that eta Car has reached maximum brightness in the bands B, V, R, and I, as
expected for the ongoing 2009.0 event (cf. CBET 1654).  The CCD observations
were performed as detailed on CBET 1654.  The observed maxima are as follows:
B = 5.49 (2009 Jan. 15), V = 4.80 (2009 Jan. 12), R = 3.93 (2009 Jan. 3), and
I = 3.37 (2009 Jan. 9).  The BVRI light curves (available at website URL
http://etacar.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar) show that the object is now on the
descending branch toward minimum, expected to occur about 2009 Jan. 28.


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                         (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 January 21                  (CBET 1668)              Daniel W. E. Green