The results of photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova SN 2022prv carried out with six telescopes including the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the 2.5-m telescope of the Caucasus Mountain Observatory of SAI MSU are presented. The dates and magnitudes at the brightness maximum and the parameters of the light curves are determined. The photometric evolution of SN 2022prv is characterized by a constant decrease in brightness after the maximum at a rate quite high for a type II supernovae. Approximately 55 days after the maximum, the rate of the decrease in brightness increased. The maximum luminosity has reached M_V=-18m.1 which is higher than average for SN II. In the pre-maximum spectra, high-excitation emission lines were observed characteristic of the ionization of the circumstellar matter by a burst during the shock wave emergence onto the surface of the star. However, approximately 20 days after the maximum, the spectrum did not differ from that typical of SN II. The rate of the envelope expansion at this stage was about 3500 km s ^-1 which is a little smaller than average for SN II values.

The results of photometric, polarimetric, and spectroscopic observations of the young star ZZ Tau IRS in the visible and near-infrared bands are presented. Against the continuum of an M spectral type star about 50 emission lines of allowed (H I, He I, Na I, S II) and forbidden (O I, O II, O III, N I, N II, S II, Ca II, Fe II, Ni II) transitions were identified. It was found that from the autumn of 2020 to the beginning of 2023, the brightness of the star in the visible region decreased (Δ I≈ 1m.5 ) and then began to return to the initial level. As the visible brightness of the star declined, its color indices decreased in the visible region, but increased in the near-IR bands. At light minimum, the degree of polarization in the I band reached approx 13 % , and the equivalent widths of, e.g., the H α and [S II] λ 6731 lines increased to 376 and 79 Å^∘ , respectively. Arguments are given in favor of ZZ Tau IRS being a UX Ori type star, and its variability being due to eclipses by dust clouds, which are inhomogeneities in the dusty disk wind. Forbidden lines are formed both in the disk wind and in the jet, the axis of what is oriented along PA=61^∘± 3^∘ . The jet mass-loss rate exceeds 5× 10^-10M_⊙ yr ^-1 , what is abnormally large for a star with a mass less than 0.3M_⊙ . Apparently, the disk wind of ZZ Tau IRS is not axially symmetric, probably due to the azimuthal asymmetry of the protoplanetary disk found earlier from ALMA observations.

During the outburst of the dwarf nova AY Lac in October 2020, the authors obtained more 2200 CCD-frames in UBVRcIc-bands of the variable. An analysis of the observed photometric series showed that superhumps were observed on this type SUWZ star both before early on and in the “B” stage, with periods of 0 d .058074 and 0 d .059418, respectively. The change in the shape of the superhumps during the outburst was studied, values of P dot = P / P = 6.6 ∙10 -5 and a period excess of ε = 0.024 were found, and a most probable ratio q = 0.11 of the masses of the components was estimated, as well as color temperatures and a number of other quantities. It is shown that AY Lac is a typical WZ Sge-type star in terms of all the characteristics that were studied.

Abstract—The article presents the results of multicolor photometry, medium and low resolution spectroscopy of the red nova V838 Mon remnant for 16 years after the 2002 outburst. We also used the archival photometry with the photographic plates of the Sonneberg and Moscow collections from 1928 to 1994. Analysis of these observational data confirmed that the progenitor of the V838 Mon explosion was a wide pair of B3V type stars of reduced luminosity. A brighter component exploded; it was 36 per cent brighter than its companion, and located on the zero-age main sequence of the Spectrum–Luminosity Diagram. Immediately after the outburst, in the fall of 2002, the remnant was a brown L-type supergiant (sgL), but in the fall of 2003 its spectrum changed to M type with a blue radiation excess appeared in the spectral energy distribution, which we interpreted as the reflection effect of the B type companion on the dust formed on the M star. In 2008, the companion was engulfed by the expanding explosion remnant, a type M supergiant (sgM). When the companion was immersing in the expanding M-star, a void was discovered under the M-star upper layer, in which the companion moved for about 200 days. Over the past 10 years, the luminosity of the M star has increased in the V filter by a factor of 10, and the spectral type has changed from M7.5 to M5.5. Based on radial velocities in the BaII 6497 Å and CaI 6572 Å lines, a deceleration of the expanding envelope of the M supergiant was detected, and in 2018, the envelope velocity approached to the heliocentric velocity of the star +71 km s−1. Quasi-periodic changes with a period of 320 days appeared then in the light curves, especially clearly expressed in I filter. We assume that the remnant has an elongated structure, and its rotation period is about 640 days. This is probably a gigantic contact system that will become a detached binary system in future development. The observations do not confirm the assumption that the explosion of one of the V838 Mon components was due to the merger of a compact binary system components located in a hierarchical triple one. Two hypotheses were proposed on the nature of the explosion of one of the V838 Mon components, directly based on the early age of this system: (1) the ignition of thermonuclear burning of hydrogen in the core after the gravitational compression of a protostar; (2) the fragmentation of the core inside a rapidly rotating star in the stage of gravitational compression of a protostar, and later, the subsequent defragmentation (merger of the core components) due to the loss of torque.

Abstract . We analyzed a 40-year set of multicolor photometry and a 15-year set of synoptic monitoring of SS 433 along with fragmentary spectral and radio data. This system contains a neutron star and an A3–A7 I giant. The system is found to be either close, in contact, or it has a common envelope from time to time. The A-type giant is now in transition to the dynamical mass transfer.

The results of our speckle interferometric observations of young binaries VY Tau and XZ Tau are presented. For the first time, we found a relative displacement of VY Tau components as well as a preliminary orbit for XZ Tau. It appeared that the orbit is appreciably non-circular and is inclined by i ≲ 47◦ from the plane of the sky. It means that the rotation axis of XZ Tau A and the axis of its jet are significantly non-perpendicular to the orbital plane. We found that the average brightness of XZ Tau had been increasing from the beginning of the last century up to the mid-thirties and then it decreased by ΔB > 2 mag. The maximal brightness has been reached significantly later on the time of periastron passage. The total brightness of XZ Tau’s components varied in a non-regular way from 1970 to 1985 when eruptions of hot gas from XZ Tau A presumably had occurred. In the early nineties the variations became regular following which a chaotic variability had renewed. We also report that a flare activity of VY Tau has resumed after 40 yr pause, parameters of the previous and new flares are similar, and the flares are related with the A component.

We present the results of the study of the red nova PSN J14021678+5426205 based on the observations carried out with the Russian 6-m telescope (BTA) along with other telescopes of SAO RAS and SAI MSU. To investigate the nova progenitor, we used the data from the Digital Sky Survey and amateur photos available on the internet. In the period between April 1993 and July 2014, the brightness of the progenitor gradually increased by 2.2 mag in the V band. At the peak of the first outburst in mid-November of 2014, the star reached an absolute visual magnitude of -12.75 mag but was discovered later, in February 2015, in a repeated outburst at the absolute magnitude of -11.65 mag. The amplitude of the outburst was minimum among the red novae, only 5.6 mag in the V band. The H alpha emission line and the continuum of a cool supergiant with a gradually decreasing surface temperature were observed in the spectra. Such process is typical for red novae, although the object under study showed extreme parameters: maximum luminosity, maximum outburst duration, minimum outburst amplitude, unusual shape of the light curve. This event is interpreted as a massive OB star system components merging accompanied by the formation of a common envelope and then the expansion of this envelope with minimal energy losses.

We present spectroscopy and multicolor photometry for the optical transient PSN J09093496+3307204 in the galaxy NGC2770, which has afterwards been transferred into the supernova phase and got the name SN2015bh. Medium-resolution spectral observations were carried out between February 2015 to May 2016 using the focal reducer SCORPIO at the 6-m Russian telescope BTA. They were followed by by photometric observations at the BTA and six other telescopes with 0.5–1m apertures. Both at the phase of the SN impostor (2015a) and at the supernova phase (2015b), besides Balmer emissions, the strong Fe II emissions are seen in the spectrum; so, these spectra resemble those of Williams Fe II type classical novae. Taking into account circumstellar, interstellar and galactic absorption, A V = 1.m 14 ±0.m 15), we determined maximum absolute magnitudes of the object to be M V =–15.m 0 ±0.m 3 at the 2015a phase and of M V =–18.m 14 ±0.m 30 at the 2015b phase. The light curve at the 2015b phase is similar to those of SN IIL. The supernova progenitor is a luminous blue variable (LBV) star with the powerful Hα emission. We consider several hypotheses of supernovae explosions following optical transients related with LBV. The hypothesis of core collapse of an evolved massive star interrupting the process of its merging with massive companion in a binary system (a failed luminous red nova) was chosen as the preferable one for this event.

We present the results of the study of a red nova from the observations carried out with the Russian 6-m telescope (BTA) along with other telescopes of SAO RAS and SAI MSU. To investigate the nova progenitor,we used the data from the Digital Sky Survey and amateur photos available on the Internet. In the period between April 1993 and July 2014, the brightness of the progenitor gradually increased by \(2_ \cdot ^m 2\) in the V-band. At the peak of the first outburst in mid-November 2014, the star reached an absolute visual magnitude of \(- 12_ \cdot ^m 75\) but was discovered later, in February 2015, in a repeated outburst at the magnitude of \(- 11_ \cdot ^m 65\). The amplitude of the outburst was minimum among the red novae, only \(5_ \cdot ^m 6\) in V-band. The Hα emission line and the background of a cool supergiant continuum with gradually decreasing surface temperature were observed in the spectra. Such process is typical for red novae, although the object under study showed extreme parameters: maximum luminosity, maximum outburst duration, minimum outburst amplitude, unusual shape of the light curve. This event is interpreted as a massive OB star system components’merging accompanied by formation of a common envelope and then the expansion of this envelope with minimal energy losses.