Optical Variability of the Blazar OJ 287

Sadun, A.; Sillanpaa, A.; Takalo, L. O.; Pursimo, T.; Lehto, H.; Nilsson, K.; Kidger, M.; de Diego, J. A.; Gonzalez-Perez, J. N.; Rodriguez-Espinosa, J.-M.; Mahoney, T.; Boltwood, P.; Dultzin-Hacyan, D.; Benitez, E.; Turner, G. W.; Robertson, J. W.; Honeycut, R. K.; Efimov, Yu. S.; Shakhovskoy, N.; Charles, P. A.; Schramm, K. J.; Borgeest, U.; Linde, J. V.; Grashuis, R.
Bibliographical reference

American Astronomical Society, 185th AAS Meeting, #88.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 26, p.1467

Advertised on:
12
1994
Number of authors
24
IAC number of authors
5
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
An international collaboration of fourty scientists have been involved in multifrequency observations of the blazar OJ 287, as well as of a few other complementary objects, taken both photometrically and spectroscopically. We present the optical light curve of OJ 287 obtained between the fall of 1993 through the present. Over 1200 photometric observations in the visible were taken between September 1993 and June 1994 alone. The data set represents the best ever observed light curve for any extragalactic object. This light curve shows significant variability down to time scales as short as tens of minutes, and amplitudes as great as two magnitudes. A series of small outbursts were seen from December 1993 through April 1994, and during most of the coverage there has been a slow upward trend in the light output. Analysis of the variability and questions of periodicity are discussed.