HO Psc UBV(RI)c light curves

A spectroscopic identification, a period study, q-search, and a simultaneous UBVRcIc light-curve solution are presented. The spectra and our photometric solution indicate that HO Psc is a W-type W UMa shallow-contact (fill-out ~8%) binary system.

The primary component has a G6V spectral type with an apparently precontact spectral type of M2V for the secondary component. The small fill-out indicates that the system has not yet achieved thermal contact and thus has recently come into physical contact. This may mean that this solar-type binary system has not attained its ~0.4 mass ratio via a long period of magnetic braking, as would normally be assumed.