COMMISSION 27 OF THE I. A. U.
               INFORMATION BULLETIN ON VARIABLE STARS
                            Number 1160



                                          Konkoly Observatory
                                          Budapest
                                          1976 July 28



                      A NEW FLARE STAR IN PISCES

   While carrying out an objective-prism survey with the Curtis Schmidt
telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, the author discovered
a new, large-amplitude flare star. The discovery plate was taken on 1976
June 7. The star abruptly appeared about m_pg = 8.5 at 9:59 UT, and was
still well above the plate limit of about m_pg = 10.5 when the exposure
ended 14 minutes later. (Accurate timing is possible because the objective-
prism spectra are widened with a single trail.) During the flare the
object showed a continuous spectrum with the Balmer lines and possibly
Ca II K in emission.
   The star was found at minimum on the Palomar Sky Survey prints at
about 15.0 mag, at 1950 position 23h29m09s, -3d01.7'. The figure gives a
finding chart for the star, reproduced from the Palomar red print.
   This new flare star is not only one of the apparently brightest known
during outburst, but is also, with a range of more than 6 magnitudes, one
of the largest-amplitude flare stars. It deserves further study by optical
and radio observers.

                                         HOWARD E. BOND *
 
                                      Department of Astronomy
                                      University of Washington
                                      Seattle, Washington USA
                                                and
                                     Department of Physics & Astronomy
                                     Louisiana State University
                                     Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA


  * Visiting Astronomer, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, which
is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy,
Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.

                         [FIGURE 1]

   Finding chart for the new flare star. The field is a 12' square,
   reproduced from the Palomar Sky Survey red print. (Copyright by National
   Geographic Society-Palomar Sky Survey; reproduced by permission.)