SIMBAD references

The VERITAS collaboration reports increased activity at very high energies

(VHE; E>100 GeV) from the unidentified gamma-ray source HESS J0632+057.

The object is located in the Monoceros region (R.A. 06:32:58.3, Dec. +05:48:20, J2000) and is positionally associated with the B0pe-type star MWC 148 (HD 259440)

(Hinton et al. 2009, ApJ 690, L101). Its point-like nature, its variability

in the X-ray (Falcone et al. 2009, ApJ 708, L52) and gamma-ray regimes

(Acciari et al. 2009, ApJ 698, L94), and the non-blazar-like radio flux

(Skilton et al. 2009, MNRAS, 399, 317) led to the suggestion that HESS J0632+057 is a new X-ray/TeV binary.

The observations reported here were motivated by the increase in X-ray activity, based on Swift-XRT monitoring data, as reported by Falcone et al. 2011 (ATel #3152). Preliminary analysis of 5.6 hours of

VERITAS observations indicates that HESS J0632+057 was in a high state 07/08 February 2011 (MJD 55599-55600), coincident with a high state in

X-rays. Analysis of these data has resulted in the detection of the object with a statistical significance of more than 8 standard deviations.

The estimated VHE gamma-ray flux from HESS J0632+057 is about 4% of the

flux from the Crab Nebula above 300 GeV, significantly higher than during the previous VERITAS observations.

Multiwavelength observations of HESS J0632+057 are encouraged.