Video - 30MB zipped Quick time movie

Gamma Ray Bursts and X-ray transients recorded by satellite detection, such as the burst from SGR 1806-20, can be seen as a change in the signal strength from Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio transmitters monitored by stations around the globe. Prompt X-rays from GRB events and X-ray transients, like SGR 1806-20, ionize the upper atmosphere and modify the radio propagation properties of the Earth's ionosphere. This presentation describes the science of radio propagation and techniques (radios, antennas and computer recording software) used in these detections.

Gary Billings        15 minutes
“Period Change of the Eclipsing Binary V442 Cas”

Video - 22MB Zipped Quick Time movie

I have determined new times of minimum for the Algol-type eclipsing binary V442 Cas. With these data, and other recently-published observations, the observational record spans 70 years. The O-C curve shows a period change in the 1960s.

Russell M. Genet, Thomas C. Smith, and Dirk Terrell        30 minutes
“Within-Season Changes in the Periods and Light Curves of W UMa Binaries”

Video - 26MB Zipped Quick Time movie

The Orion and Dark Ridge Observatories devoted their entire 2004 observing season to obtaining complete light curves of six short-period W UMa binaries: V523Cas, RW Com, V400 Lyr, TZ Boo, V1191 Cyg, and GM Dra. Over 150 complete light curves were obtained, including 39 complete light curves of V523 Cas. On eight occasions, V523 Cas was observed, simultaneously, from both observatories. This large number of light curves on the same binaries within a single season is allowing us to search for short-term variations (or lack thereof) in rotational periods. These changes could be due to angular momentum loss, the Applegate effect, the presence of third bodies, or micro-episodes of mass flow between the stars as hypothesized by Tasos Kalimeris. We are also examining, with Dirk Terrell, short-term changes in the shapes of the light curves of these binaries that could be due to varying starspots or similar phenomena. Our concentrated W UMa observations will continue throughout our 2005 observing season and beyond, eventually allowing comparisons to be made of both period and light curve shape changes between seasons. Our seasonal eclipse timing precision (1 sigma), using our combined observations, is about 1 second. This , as suggested by Laurance Doyle, may allow us over the course of several seasons to detect, via the light-time effect, Jupiter-mass planets in Jupiter-distance orbits around solar-mass eclipsing binaries (Jupiter shifts our solar system's barycenter by about 5 seconds peak-to-peak).


Pebble Richwine and Dr. Timothy Slater        Poster Introduction
“Building Community: International Conference on the Emerging EPO Profession”

In support of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's (ASP) mission to increase the understanding and appreciation of astronomy, the ASP will host an international meeting September 14-16, 2005 focused on building and supporting a vibrant and connected community of individuals and groups engaged in educational and public outreach (EPO) in the disciplines of astronomy, astrobiology, space, and earth science. This conference is specially designed for individuals who are bringing the excitement of astronomy to non-astronomers. This community of science communicators includes: NASA and NSF-funded EPO program managers, developers, evaluators, PIOs, and others who support outreach efforts by government agencies and commercial industries; Scientists working with or assigned to EPO programs or efforts; Individuals working in formal science education~K-14 schools/colleges and minority-serving institutions as faculty or curriculum developers; Informal educators working in widely diverse settings including science centers, planetariums, museums, parks, and youth programs; Amateur astronomers involved in or interested in engaging children and adults in the excitement of astronomy; Public outreach specialists working in observatories, visitor centers, public information offices, and in multimedia broadcasting and journalism. The conference goal is to improve the quality and increase the effective dissemination of EPO materials, products, and programs through a multi-tiered professional development conference utilizing: Visionary plenary talks; Highly interactive panel discussions; Small group workshops and clinics focused on a wide range of EPO topics including evaluation and dissemination, with separate sessions for varying experience levels; Poster and project exhibition segments; Opportunities to increase program leveraging through structured and unstructured networking sessions; and Individual program action planning sessions. There will both separate and combined sessions for individuals working in formal, informal, public outreach, and scientific communications settings; and specific professional development sessions.

More information is posted at: http://astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html

Mark B. Vincent        Poster Introduction
“The MRO 2.4m Telescope Advanced Camera/Spectrograph”

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory 2.4m Telescope facility is scheduled to see first light in September, 2006. It is currently under construction atop the Magdalena Mountains in Central New Mexico, elev. 10,612 feet. The primary science drivers for this target of opportunity telescope are asteroid studies and the rapid response to astrophysical transient events.

The telescope's rapid response will allow it to slew to any target and acquire data within one minute of receipt of notice. The slew rates are 10 degree per second on both axes. Planned instrumentation includes an advanced dual-channel visible, infrared camera/spectrograph to cover the wavelength range from 0.45 to 2.5 microns. In imaging mode, the fields of view are about 5.0 arcminutes. In spectroscopy mode, there are planned low- to medium-resolution grisms, R from about 100 to 1000. This telescope and instrument combination will be valuable in promptly acquiring time-resolved photometry or spectroscopy of transient events such as super novea and gamma-ray burst afterglows.

For asteroid science, this is the wavelength range that gives the most mineralogically diagnostic information on surface compositions. This will enable us to better characterize the absorption bands and assign more accurate asteroid taxonomic classifications. Furthermore, the low resolution will require shorter exposure times, allowing for the acquisition of rotationally resolved spectra of faint asteroids.

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory is funded through the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

3:20pm - 3:50pm        Poster Viewing and Coffee Break

Poster: Outreach at Cornell's Fuertes Observatory (pdf file) - Richard C.S. Kinne

Cornell's Fuertes Observatory on the North Campus has been rendered useless to research by age and increasing light pollution from a built up North Campus. However, the Cornell Astronomical Society has adopted the Observatory and has used it to create a growing astronomical outreach program. By creating a popular lecture series and carefully choosing particular astronomical objects to show visitors to the Observatory the Society is assisting in enhancing popular astronomical education in Ithaca, NY. This poster gives details as to the groups that come to the Observatory, the lecture topics that have been given, and the best astronomical objects that have been shown in light polluted skies.

3:50pm – 5:00pm

Matthew Templeton        30 minutes
“Period changes in delta Scuti stars”

Video - 31MB Zipped Quick Time movie


The delta Scuti stars are Cepheid-like variables, pulsating with periods from tens of minutes to several hours, and having amplitudes from a few thousandths to several tenths of a magnitude. Though new and improved models of stars and stellar physics have increased our understanding of the delta Scuti stars in recent years, some aspects of their behavior are not well-understood. For example, several high-amplitude stars are known to exhibit period changes, the magnitude and sign of which can be much different than what evolution would cause. Theories for these anomalous period changes range from undiscovered binarity, to nonlinear mode-coupling, to secular changes in chemical structure. In this talk, I summarize current theories on period changes in these stars, and suggest contributions that the AAVSO could make to this important field.


Paula Szkody        20 minutes
“Cataclysmic Variables from the SDSS”

Video - 32MB Zipped Quick Time movie

In the 4 years since the Sloan Digital Sky Survey began operation, over 100 new cataclysmic variables have been found. I will show sample spectra and photometry of a few of the interesting systems discovered, including eclipsing, pulsating and magnetic CVs. A summary of the statistics emerging from the period distribution in comparison to past surveys will be presented. Opportunities for observations with ongoing XMM and HST projects will be discussed.


Wayne P. Johnson         20 minutes
“2004: A Good Year for Bright Supernovae”

Video - 33MB Zipped Quick Time movie

The year 2004 was a good year for bright supernovae (SNe). At least two of these exploding stars could be observed using modest-sized equipment. This paper is presented to encourage more members of the AAVSO to contribute observations using visual, PEP and CCD observations.

Video - 39MB Zipped Quick Time movie

Overcontact binaries come in a variety of configurations, with examples for both high and low mass stars. I will discuss the current theoretical picture for these stars as well as new models being developed that we hope will answer the many questions we still have about them. I will also discuss current observational programs that will play a key role in the testing of the new theoretical models.


David B. Williams        10 minutes
“NSV 11749: Slow Nova or FU Ori Variable?”

Video - 15MB Zipped Quick Time movie

Investigation of NSV 11749 on Harvard patrol plates reveals that in 1898 this variable brightened gradually to 12th magnitude (blue), remained at maximum for the following four years, then gradually declined to the 16th magnitude or fainter. It is difficult to determine from the light curve alone whether this variable is a slow nova or an FU Ori star. A spectrogram of this faint variable is needed to define its type.


Gary Emerson, Stephanie McLaughlin, and Lucy McFadden        20 minutes
“The Small Telescope Science Program for the NASA Deep Impact Mission”

Video - 30MB Zipped Quick Time movie

The Small Telescope Science Program (STSP) is a collaborative effort among technically-proficient amateur astronomers, professional and student astronomers with discretionary telescope time, and private observatories to gather valuable ground-based optical data on Comet 9P/Tempel 1, the target of Deep Impact, a NASA Discovery Mission. The main objective of this program is to provide CCD observations of Tempel 1 to supplement the professional data acquired by project collaborators at large telescopes. The science team monitors the resulting images and photometric measurements to understand how the activity of the comet changes during its orbit. When will water production turn on? How does the dust production rate change? When does jet activity begin and how long does it last? Does the comet undergo outbursts? The STSP observing campaign for 2004-2005 began in October 2004 with the comet near 19th magnitude. The comet is expected to be near 10th by the end of April and near 9th magnitude by the encounter on July 4, 2005. We encourage advanced observers to join the STSP and contribute valuable data in support of the mission. For more information about the STSP please visit, http://deepimpact.umd.edu/stsp.


David H. Levy        30 minutes
“Portrait of a variable star: The Tombaugh star outburst movie”

Video - 26MB Zipped Quick Time movie

Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto and a lifelong AAVSO friend, lived in Las Cruces for the last 50 years of his life; his family still lives here. During his search for trans-Saturnian planets he discovered what he thought was a nova in outburst March 23, 1931. Although he reported it to his superior at the time, news of the discovery remained buried in the plate archive at Lowell Observatory until I found it while doing research for his biography. A search of the plate archives at Harvard subsequently revealed 9 other outbursts of what was apparently a cataclysmic variable of high galactic latitude. Now named TV Corvi, the star was first visually observed in outburst on March 23, 1990.

On February 2, 2005, I caught the star rising in the southeast and climbing rapidly in magnitude. The movie consists of several images taken throughout that night.


3:30pm – 3:50pm        Coffee Break

3:50pm – 5:05pm

John Toone        20 minutes
“The International Chart Working Group”

A summary of the first four years work undertaken by the ICWG on variable star charts and sequences.


Arto Oksanen        10 minutes
“Observing Exoplanet Transits at Nyrola Observatory”

(No abstract provided.)


Jerry D. Horne        15 minutes
“Using a small telescope to detect variable stars in the Globular Cluster NCG 6779”

The nominal feasibility of utilizing small instruments, in near-urban environments to detect variable stars in globular clusters is demonstrated through the use of modern CCD cameras and commercially available image processing software. Specifically, a 0.25 meter telescope and a CCD camera with a 550 x 752 CCD array was used to detect and perform photometry of six of the known twelve variable stars in NGC 6779 (M56). Two commercial image processing and photometric analysis software packages were utilized, and three variable detection techniques were examined. The periods of five variables were derived and B-V and V-I color magnitude diagrams for the entire cluster were developed.


Pamela L. Gay        30 minutes
“IRAF: the Power, the Pain, the Zen”

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory's (NOAO) general Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) is one of the most powerful data reduction packages available. Used widely by professional astronomers, IRAF can reduce CCD image and spectral data, computes airmasses, heliocentric Julian dates, and world coordinate systems, provides numerous statistical packages, and much much more. With a price tag of nothing, IRAF appears to be the obvious first choice for anyone looking for a way to take their raw images and get out clean, well-assessed data. Looks can be deceiving however. IRAF may not cost any money, but it does cost you time. It takes time to install, time to learn, and perhaps time off the end of your life. With dense, and sometimes inaccurate manuals, a command line interface, and arcane commands, IRAF is hard to learn, and is only for the strong of heart and brave of computer. In this session, I will help you decide if IRAF is right for you. The IRAF features most relevant to AAVSO observers will be high lighted, computer needs will be discussed, and you will be shown some of the tricks to becoming one with your future IRAF installation.