31 December, 1996 --

• Cyg X-3 is rather bright, at 210 to 340 mCrab.
• GRS1915+105 results continue to appear low, ~350 mCrab, and steady.
• The results for the following 3 sources show significant changes and we believe should be watched, but the results should be treated with a good dose of skepticism since artifacts from the changing SSC calibration may be the cause. In this regard, Ron and I are making excellent progress toward releasing an improved analysis program hopefully within two weeks.
• ntraust74 (TrA X-1, 1524-617) has one recent high point.
• Ser X-1 exhibits a number of relatively low intensities.
• xtej1856+053 shows a number of relatively high points.

9 December, 1996 --

• Cyg X-3 is still active and is in the range 110 to 250 mCrab,
• GRS1915+105 is about 300 mCrab,
• GRO J1655-40 appears to still be 0.5 to 1 Crab from a small number of observations.
• There are few or no new measurements for many Galactic center sources due to the location of the Sun.
• Also note that the Crab results look noisier than usual; this may indicate that the calibration is continuing to change.

9 December, 1996 --

• No important changes to report.

3 December, 1996 --

• grs1915+105 and nsco94 (groj1655-40) are both at relatively low flux levels.
• A small flare seen in x0614_091.
• x1705-440 is increasing again.
• Note that the sun is passing through the region near 17h -20, and diminished sampling rates will be experienced during the next couple of months for all sources near the galactic center.

25 November, 1996 --

• A significant decline in nsco94 (GROJ1655-40), to 0.9 Crab
• grs1915+105 continues chaotic.
• xtej1856+053 appears to have finished its outburst.
• Continued detections of the rapid burster (x1730-333).
• Possible faint detections of lsi61303, x1145-619, and x0535-668... these should be watched in coming days.

18 November, 1996 --

• The rapid burster (x1730-333) is declining. This outburst appears very similar to the previous one seen with ASM.
• xtej1856+053 continues slow decline.
• cygx3 has begun a new outburst.
• lmcx3 may be nearing its cyclical maximum.
• grs1915+105 continues in a state of extreme variability.
• Another cyclical outburst has begun in gx301-2.

14 November, 1996 --

• As the Sun begins its cut across the Galactic plane near the Galactic center (mid Nov. through mid Jan.), the ASM sampling rate for sources in this area diminishes since the ASM avoids direct observations of the Sun, and also because the highest probability for the location of the spacecraft shadow (i.e. the ~17% of the sky that the ASM sweep will not view) is generally in the solar direction.
• rapid burster (x1730-333) outburst still in progress

4 November, 1996 --

• The Rapid Burster may be coming up again.
• nsco94 (GRO J1655-40) at max again (2.8 Crab)
• gx354-0 on the rise again
• last minoutburst of x0115+634 is finished
• possible detection of Be binary lsi+61303

24 October, 1996 --

• GRS1915+105 is in an extremely variable state.
• lmcx3 is entering another bright phase.
• smcx1 is entering the 5th bright cycle.
• x0115+634 has started a new flux increase (up to 30 mCrab at week's end).
• x1705-440 has declined to the detection limit.
• Cyg X-1 is very low, ~150 mCrab.
• Cyg X-3 is back to ~110 mCrab.
• GRO 1655-40 is still ~ 2 Crab.
• 1145-619 is back to below the ASM sensitivity level.

24 October, 1996 --

• nsco94 (GROJ1655-40) has reversed course and is now increasing in brightness
• x1145-619 has completed its mini-outburst (20 days with max daily average of 100 mCrab)
• 1705-440 continues to decline
• GRS1915+105 continues to be highly variable.

14 October, 1996 --

• X-ray nova GRS1739-278 appears nearing quiescence
• NSco94 (GROJ1655-40) flux now lower, softer, less variable
• GRS1915+105 continues bright and variable,
• x1145-619 outburst continues
• Cyg X-1 decline continues

7 October, 1996 --

• An outburst in x1145-619 has begun, with flux reaching 90 mCrab by week's end
• a smaller outburst (25 mCrab) appears in x1845-024
• Cyg X-1 has reached its lowest flux yet in ASM (.23 Crab)
• X0115+634 appears to be receeding again after another small outburst at 40 mCrab

30 September, 1996 --

• Cyg X-3 flux continues to increase;
• LMCX-3 appears to be beginning its bright phase;
• GRS1739-278 decline has accelerated;
• NSco94 (GROJ1655-40) and GRS1915+105 continue very bright and variable.

23 September, 1996 --

• Cyg X-3 flux continues to increase.
• A sharp dip in NGC6624 (x1820-30) was seen, with the minimum lasting ~1 day.
• GROJ1744-28 remains roughly steady at ~50 mCrab.
• GRS1739-278 continues its decline, now just below 100 mCrab.
• NSco94 (GROJ1655-40) and GRS1915+105 continue very bright and variable.

17 September, 1996 --

• Cir X-1 continues in a high intensity state with "flares" to about 3 Crab around orbital phase zero (i.e., every 16.6 days).
• Cyg X-1 remains in a low state at about 0.4 Crab.
• The light curve of Cyg X-2 continues to follow the pattern of 2 maxima within a cycle of period 77 days.
• Cyg X-3 is more active and is also somewhat brighter than its average intensity from the past 6 months.
• The downward trend of GRS 1739-278 continues.
• GRS 1915+105 continues to be in a highly active bright state.
• GX 339-4 looks very weak.
• GX 354-0 (4U 1728-34) is in retreat from its latest flare.
• LMC X-3 remains on a downward trend from a secondary peak around MJD 50300.
• 4U 1820-30 (NGC 6624) showed a sharp decrease in strength in the past week.
• GRO 1655-40 (Nova Sco 1994) remains in a strong state ( > 2 Crab).

9 September, 1996 --

• Cyg X-3 appears more active recently.
• GRS 1915+105 is active again, varying between 30 and 185 cts/s.
• GX354+0 and LMC X-3 are dimming.
• SMC X-1 is now clearly in bright phase of its ~60 day cycle.

5 September, 1996 --

• LMC X-3 may have peaked already in the current bright episode, suggesting a continuation of the alternating strong / weak brightness pattern reported by Cowley et al. 1991 (ApJ 381, 526).
• The 'outburst' of X0115+634 is apparently over - a 16-day 'pop' to 50 mCrab. The source is not detectable in the ASM beginning on day 50316.
• SMC X-1 brightened, as expected, during days 50316-50319, but the daily averages became erratic through day 50324, suggesting a weaker appearance during this cycle.
• GRS1915+105 has resumed bright, flaring behavior with average ASM flux above 1 Crab, in sharp contrast to the recent 25-day lull at 0.52 mCrab.... while NSco94 (GROJ1655-40) remains bright and variable near 2 Crab (2-12 keV).

29 August, 1996 --

• GRS 1915+105 appears to be leaving its quiescent period that began around day 200. Its intensity is up to ~2 Crab.
• The intensity of LMC X-3 is rising again.
• Cyg X-1 has dimmed.
• Cyg X-2 has brightened to ~1 Crab.
• X 1728-34 (GX 354-0) is flaring up to ~200 mCrab.
• GRO 1655-40 (nsco94) is still bright at ~2 Crab.
• A small outburst from X 0115+634 appears to be over.
• X 1630-472 has turned off again.

31 July, 1996 --

• 1630-47 is definitley turning off.
• GX339-4 is rising through 50 mCrab.
• groj1744-28 is in its second (brighter) mini-rebound.

25 June, 1996 --

• X1636-536 appeared to increase from its normal level of 135 mCrab to perhaps 400 or 675 (on the last day of week 20).
• X1907+097 stayed at the level of up to ~1 Crab.
• Aql X-1 is also remaining at ~20 to 30 mCrab.
• Cyg X-1 is still in the high state.
• GRS 1915+105 is showing wild variability.
• GRO J1655-40 is still strong.

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