VAR CAS 06 This new variable star in Cassiopeia was discovered on Oct 25, 2006 by A. Tago, Okayama-ken, Japan. It has been identified with GSC 3656-1328, a star which has never before been reported in outburst, and was around V=11.4 from Tycho2. It was first noted brighter (V=10.7) on Oct 25, peaked around V=7.5 on Oct 31.469UT (the prior reported V=6.6 was reported as erroneous by the observer) and now has declined back to near quiescent. Its behavior and spectrum is atypical for any known type of variable star, and some have suggested it may be a gravitational microlensing event! For this to be true, it must have (1) identical spectrum before, during and after ouburst, and (2) a symmetrical lightcurve about the peak. I compiled the lightcurve below from most available visual and CCDV observations. Obviously, there are quite few observations pre-outburst, making it difficult to say if this curve is sufficiently symmetric to qualify as microlensing? (Even though it may appear that the decline is more rapid than the rise? ) However, it appears that it has faded back to near its pre-outburst condition, which does support the hypothesis. See R. Leadbeater's followup studies of this enigmatic event HERE. Last modified: Dec 12, 2008