Visual Minima Timings of Eclipsing Binaries: To Use or not to Use?

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Authors

MIKULÁŠEK Zdeněk ZEJDA Miloslav ZHU Liying QIAN Shengbang LIŠKA Jiří DE VILLIERS S. N.

Year of publication 2013
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Central European Astrophysical Bulletin
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Field Astronomy and astrophysics
Keywords eclipsing binaries; minima timings
Description Plenty of mid-eclipse timings of short-periodic eclipsing binaries derived from series of visual observations appear to be an acceptable source of information for orbital period analyses, namely if they were done in time-intervals not covered by other types of observations. However, our thorough period analysis of the nearly contact eclipsing binary BS Vulpeculae proves that visually determined timings done in 1979-2003 were undoubtedly biased to accommodate the existing linear ephemeris. The heavily subjective character of visual observations disqualifies them as a source of true phase information apt for fine eclipsing binary period analyses. Consequently we warn against the use of visual timings without a preceding careful verification.
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