SS Ari: a shallow-contact close binary system

Two CCD epochs of light minimum and a complete R light curve of SS Ari are presented. The light curve obtained in 2007 was analyzed with the 2003 version of the W-D code. It is shown that SS Ari is a shallow contact binary system with a mass ratio q=3.25 and a degree of contact factor f=9.4%(±0.8%). A period investigation based on all available data shows that there may exist two distinct solutions about the assumed third body. One, assuming eccentric orbit of the third body and constant orbital period of the eclipsing pair, results in a massive third body with M₃=1.73M_⊙ and P₃=87.0 yr. On the contrary, assuming continuous period changes of the eclipsing pair the orbital period of tertiary is 37.75 yr and its mass is about 0.278M_⊙. Both of the cases suggest the presence of an unseen third component in the system.