BELGIAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY V.V.S. - Working Group Variable Stars Cataclysmic Variables Circular No.114 1996, November 30 Ed.: T. Vanmunster, Walhostraat 1A, 3401 Landen, BELGIUM Internet: tvanmuns@innet.be TEL. 32-11-831504 =================================================================== FX Cep [UGSS?, 15.0p - 17.5p] ============================= FX Cep, a possible SS Cyg-type dwarf nova which is part of the Belgian CVAP programme, has been detected in outburst by Eric Broens, Mol, Belgium. Tonny Vanmunster, CBA Belgium, has been able to confirm the outburst by CCD (observations through thick clouds) : 1996 Nov. 29.993 UT, [14.2 (G. Poyner, 0.40-m refl., seq: GSC); Nov. 30.814 UT, 14.5 (E. Broens, 0.35-m refl., seq: GSC); Nov. 30.930 UT, 14.9 (T. Vanmunster, 0.25-m SCT + ST-7 unfilt.); FX Cep was last seen in outburst on 1996, Sep 5, by T. Vanmunster (unfiltered CCD image) and Eric Broens. This was a very faint and short outburst [CVC 106]. The short recurrence time of this object - 11 days according to the FX Cep discovery paper by Rosino (1962) - and the existence of long and short outbursts might be a hint of an SU UMa-type dwarf nova. Attempts to detect superhumps at Ouda Observatory, Kyoto University, Japan in July 1995, and at the Center for Backyard Astrophysics, Belgium in September 1996 were unsuccessful. Close monitoring of the present outburst is highly encouraged. Tonny Vanmunster