Waiting for Godot...

Samuel Beckett's play features characters who are simply hanging out, waiting for their friend Godot to show up.  It may be beginning to feel this way with epsilon Aurigae too, as the slow phase of ingress grinds on.  The current photometric V = 3.05 level suggests we are still within the range of normal out of eclipse light variation.  However, the non-optical brightnesses are in decline, especially the I and J bands in the near-infrared.

Interferometric observations of epsilon Aurigae were scheduled for this coming week at the CHARA array atop Mt.Wilson - however, you may have heard of the Station Fire near Los Angeles, which continues to threaten the historic observatory.  Last week Thursday night, we experienced the leading edge of the California smoke and ash plume atop Mt.Evans, Colorado - nearly 1000 miles downrange!  The Mt.Wilson Solar Tower webcam now shows a view of the famous 100 inch telescope and the CHARA combiner building surrounding it.  We are cautiously optimistic that fire management is succeeding in preserving the facilities, and grateful to the brave firefighters who have made this possible. 
Webcam: http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm
Mt.Wilson history includes Hubble: http://www.chara.gsu.edu/CHARA/MWO/cent.php