We present Roche tomograms of the G5-G8 IV/V secondary star in the long-period cataclysmic variable BV Cen reconstructed from MIKE echelle data taken on the Magellan Clay 6.5-m telescope. The tomograms show the presence of a number of large, cool starspots on BV Cen for the first time. In particular, we find a large high-latitude spot which is deflected from the rotational axis in the same direction as seen on the K3-K5 IV/V secondary star in the cataclysmic variable AE Aqr. BV Cen also shows a similar relative paucity of spots at latitudes between 40-50 degrees when compared with AE Aqr. Furthermore, we find evidence for an increased spot coverage around longitudes facing the white dwarf which supports models invoking starspots at the L1 point to explain the low-states observed in some cataclysmic variables. In total, we estimate that some 25 per cent of the northern hemisphere of BV Cen is spotted. We also find evidence for a faint, narrow, transient emission line with characteristics reminiscent of the peculiar low-velocity emission features observed in some outbursting dwarf novae. We interpret this feature as a slingshot prominence from the secondary star and derive a maximum source size of 75,000 km and a minimum altitude of 160,000 km above the orbital plane for the prominence. The entropy landscape technique was applied to determine the system parameters of BV Cen. We find M_1 = 1.18 (+0.28 -0.16) Msolar, M_2 = 1.05 (+0.23 -0.14) Msolar and an orbital inclination of i = 53 degrees +- 4 degrees at an optimal systemic velocity of gamma = -22.3 km s-1. Finally, we also report on the previously unknown binarity of the G5IV star HD 220492.
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