AAVSO Membership

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Who we are

The American Association of Variable Star Observers was formally founded in 1911 as an organization devoted to the study of variable stars, and to the support and encouragement of the valuable contributions of all researchers -- amateur and professional -- to this important field. After nearly a century, the AAVSO continues to fulfill its role of facilitating variable star research by preserving and sharing its data archive of nearly 17 million variable star observations, and by fostering collaboration between the world-wide amateur and professional astronomical communities.

Left: 1931 AAVSO group meeting picture at AAVSO Headquarters, Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, MA. Right: 2007 AAVSO group meeting picture with RASC and ALPO in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Click images to enlarge.

Who makes up the membership of the AAVSO today? If you are:

• A variable star observer -- amateur or professional -- who wants to support the AAVSO above and beyond your contribution of data,
• A professional astronomer who uses AAVSO data and services, and wants to support the AAVSO and our mission to encourage variable star research,
• An educator who wants to share variable star astronomy with your students,
• A student just beginning your career in the sciences, or
• Anyone interested in the science and history of variable star astronomy, or in the collaboration of amateur and citizen scientists in astronomical research

then you are the sort of person who belongs in the American Association of Variable Star Observers! From its earliest days, the AAVSO has been made up of both amateur and professional astronomers, including some of the most important and influential astronomers of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Today, the AAVSO membership numbers over 1000 amateur and professional astronomers all over the world devoted to variable star research -- and you should be one of them! We need you to support the work that the AAVSO does in variable star astronomy, and to contribute your knowledge, skills, and expertise to further our mission. Please consider joining today!

Membership Benefits

Your membership in the AAVSO has several benefits, including:

• Full and immediate access to the AAVSO's publications, the refereed research Journal of the AAVSO, and the AAVSO Newsletter,
• Waiver of page charges for publication in the Journal (currently $15/page for non-members),
• Use of the AAVSO's Robotic Telescope Network, AAVSONet,
• Member discounts on all items in the AAVSO Store,
• Invitations to attend AAVSO meetings and workshops, and
• Eligibility to serve as an AAVSO Officer or Councillor.

New members of the AAVSO also receive our New Member Kit which includes:

• New Member acceptance letter and membership certificate,
• A copy of the By-Laws of the AAVSO, the most recent AAVSO Newsletter, AAVSO Bulletin, and AAVSO Meeting notice,
• A bound paper copy (English) of our Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars, and Getting started manuals for CCD and PEP observing upon request,
• A user guide to the AAVSO's Variable Star Plotter -- our online chart-making utility, and
• A printed list of easy-to-observe variables for those new to variable star observing.

But one of the most important benefits is what your membership does for the AAVSO. By supporting the AAVSO with an Annual ($60/year) or Sustaining ($120/year) membership, you show us that what we do is important to you and to the science of variable star astronomy. Your membership helps us pursue original research, provide research support to professional astronomers, enable data collection and preservation and enable us to maintain our website, and support astronomy education and public outreach. And your participation in the community -- through attending meetings, participating in our discussion forums, serving on the AAVSO Council, contributing data to the AAVSO International Database, or submitting research papers to the Journal of the AAVSO -- helps to strengthen the connection between observers, researchers, and educators in the variable star community. Our members have made the AAVSO what it is today and we hope that you will be one of them!

How to join

If you are new to the AAVSO, you can join online, via our website:

If you are already a member, and would like to renew your membership, you can also do this online:

Returning members can also fill out and print this membership renewal form and mail it to AAVSO, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

We accept payment by credit card or check. If you would rather call in your credit card information, or have questions about membership or about the AAVSO in general, please call us at +1 (617) 354-0484 Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm (Eastern, US).