Previous
abstract 
Next
abstract
Session 45 - Eclipsing Binaries.
Display session, Thursday, January 08
Exhibit Hall,
The contact binary TY URSAE MAJORIS was observed during 8 nights with the 1.0-m Ritchey-Chretien reflector at the Flagstaff Station of the USNO. The relatively faint V magnitude at minimum light (12.1 mag.) accounts for the neglect of this system which eclipses every 0.355 days. A light curve analysis of over 800 UBV observations is presented in this paper. The system is composed of two F stars (F0+F7). A period change was detected in only two days and is attributed to rapid mass exchange between the components. The Wilson-Devinney Method was used for the light curve solution and the Binary Maker Program by Bradstreet aided in the interpretation of the synthesized system, which included star-spot modeling. With so few W UMa systems known, it is felt that the addition of TY UMa to the list of light curve analyses will be of value.
