MONITORING OF THE EINSTEIN-CROSS WITH THE NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE

We report results from five years of monitoring of the Einstein Cross (QSO 2237+0305) with the Nordic Optical Telescope, The photometry, mai nly in the R and I bands, has been performed by a PSF fitting and 'cle aning' procedure, in which the four image components as well as the ho st galaxy and its nucleus are iteratively removed. The resulting light curves exhibit several microlensing features; one event may have a tim escale as short as 14 days. Variations on timescales of several years are found in all four images. This becomes even more convincing when o ur data are combined with data published for 1986-89. No clear high am plification event was observed during the period. A brightening of all four components during 1994 is interpreted as intrinsic variation.