Skip to main content
  • About Us
    • The Organization
      • Vision/Mission
      • What We Do
      • Services
      • Work & Research
      • Volunteer
      • History
      • The AAVSO Archives
      • By-Laws
      • Contact Us
    • The People
      • Council Members, Officers & Section Leaders
      • Staff
      • Honors & Awards
      • In Memoriam
    • Outreach
      • Presentation Library
      • Writers Bureau
      • Speakers Bureau
    • The Location
      • AAVSO Headquarters
      • Directions
      • Guest Suite
    • Our Publications
      • Annual Report
      • The Journal of the AAVSO
      • Alert and Special Notices
      • AAVSO Newsletter
      • Visual Observing Manual
      • CCD Observing Manual
      • Solar Bulletin
      • plus many more...
    • Apply for Membership
    • Renew Membership
    • Support the AAVSO
      • Funds
      • Amazon.com
      • Benefactors
    • AAVSO Store
    • Citizen Sky Project
  • Community
    • Meetings
    • Forums
    • Live Chat Room
    • Staff Blog
    • Social Media
  • Variable Stars
    • What Are They & Why Observe Them?
    • The Stories Variables Tell
    • Types of Variables
    • Variable Star of the Season
    • Education Materials
      • CHOICE Online Institute
      • Science Olympiad
      • Two Eyes, 3D
      • Variable Star Astronomy
      • H-R Diagram Plotting Activity
    • Reporting Variable Star Discoveries
    • Variable Star Index (VSX)
    • AAVSO in Print - Publications Using AAVSO Data
  • Observing
    • Observing at a Glance
    • Observing Sections
    • Observing Manuals
      • Visual Observing Manual
      • CCD Photometry Manual
      • DSLR Photometry Manual
    • Alert and Special Notices
    • Observing Campaigns
    • WebObs (Search AID or Submit Your Data)
    • Variable Star Charts
      • Variable Star Plotter (VSP)
      • Report Chart Errors
      • Request Comparison Stars
    • Observation Planner Tool
    • JD Calculator & Calendar
    • Software Directory
  • Data
    • AAVSO International Database (AID)
    • Portal for Researchers
    • Historic Light Curves
    • WebObs (Submit/Search Data)
    • Data Access
      • Download Data in Ascii Form
      • Light Curve Generator (LCG)
      • MyNewsFlash - Real-Time Data Delivery
      • WebObs Search (Searches AID)
    • Data Analysis
      • VPHOT - Online Photometry Tool
      • Zapper - Help Validate Data
      • VStar - Java Visualization & Analysis Tool
    • The AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey (APASS)
    • AAVSOnet
  • Getting Started
    • What Are Variable Stars?
    • Things to Do
    • Find a Mentor
    • Online Forum for Help and Advice
    • Star Tutorials
      • 10-Star Tutorial (Visual Observations of Variable Stars)
      • 5-Star Tutorial (Data Analysis)
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Donate
  • Amazon
Home
Print This Page

Blogs

Herb Luft's notebooks: new science from the AAVSO Archives

The AAVSO Solar section and AAVSO headquarters are hosting a special guest this week and next, Leif Svalgaard (at center in this photo) of Stanford University/Solar Dynamics Observatory.  Leif is here to digitize sunspot records from the original notebooks of AAVSO member Herbert A. Luft (1908-1988), housed in the Thomas R. and Anna Fay Williams Archives. Continue Reading

Posted by Matthew Templeton on May 10, 2013 - 12:25pm

  • Matthew Templeton's blog

Charts and Sequences Team On A Mission

Compared to the pace of even five years ago, the speed at which the charts and sequences team addresses new and revised sequences is simply astonishing. One of the important factors in this NASCAR paced activity is APASS, the all sky survey nearing completion. Every time a data release is made available the team re-examines its lists of requests and reports to see what else can be fixed or created anew in light of the latest photometric data available. Continue Reading

Posted by SXN on April 8, 2013 - 3:23pm

  • SXN's blog

DSLR Workshop Wrap-Up

It is amazing what two-dozen people can get done in a weekend if they are organized, serious and willing to put in the time and effort to make the most of a two and a half day workshop. I opened up the Google Drive page containing all the final drafts of six chapters written at the workshop and edited during this past week and the material is shaping up into what I believe will be a very useful introduction and instruction manual for newcomers to DSLR photometry. 

Continue Reading

Posted by SXN on March 30, 2013 - 10:44am

  • SXN's blog

DSLR Manual Workshop: Day One

Today was the first full day of the AAVSO DSLR Manual Workshop. The goal is to write a user's guide for people interested in doing DSLR photometry. Most of the participants gathered Thursday night for a two hour meet and greet session at headquarters, but the workshop kicked off Friday morning at 9:00 AM. 





Continue Reading

Posted by SXN on March 22, 2013 - 7:33pm

  • SXN's blog

Recognition

One of the "knitting jobs" (as Dorrit Hoffleit used to call "spare time" tasks) I have taken on is to update and upgrade the page of meeting group photos. I'm rescanning some of the photos for better quality, adding missing items, and adding identification keys wherever possible. Some of the 1920s photos were published with keys in Popular Astronomy, and many of the photos made in the 1980s and 1990s were routinely distributed with keys, but many other years need closer attention, and I will be adding these from time to time, as time allows.

Continue Reading

Posted by M.Saladyga on March 4, 2013 - 1:13pm

  • M.Saladyga's blog

My First Variable Star Observation

Friday, February 15th, will be the 14th anniversary of my first variable star estimate.

R Leo, 9.6, Feb 15, 1999

Over 82,000 observations later, I can still recall a lot of things about my first variable star observation.  Continue Reading

Posted by SXN on February 11, 2013 - 5:13pm

  • SXN's blog

25 Years of Membership

In October, just before the 101st Annual Meeting, I was asked to take on a big project: finding every current AAVSO member who has been a member for at least 25 cumulative years.   With huge changes in technology and the way this data was stored at HQ in the last 25 years, it ended up being an intricate, meticulous job.  And because of the diverse group of members we have, it also uncovered some interesting pieces of information! Continue Reading

Posted by LaurenRosenbaum on January 17, 2013 - 3:37pm

  • LaurenRosenbaum's blog
  • Login or register to post comments

Measurable Progress

With the publication of JAAVSO 40.2, the epsilon Aurigae special issue, and JAAVSO 40.1, the 100th anniversary issue, the journal staff will now pause and catch their breath.

While Associate Editor Elizabeth Waagen and I were admiring the look and heft of the printed copies of these two volumes, EOW remarked that the total page count of 40.1 and 40.2 exceeds the number of pages in the first several volumes of JAAVSO. Continue Reading

Posted by M.Saladyga on January 15, 2013 - 11:46am

  • M.Saladyga's blog

Chasing Shadows

What is it about a total solar eclipse that impels people to travel to all kinds of far-flung corners of the world just to enjoy a few minutes of basking in the shadow of the moon? Is it for science, an addiction, the excuse to travel, or just plain craziness? For me, the answer is all of the above! In any case, those are the reasons my husband John O’Neill (ONJ) and I made the long trek to Queensland, Australia last month.

There are many phenomena one can look for during a total solar eclipse besides the beautiful corona; the diamond ring, Baily’s beads, shadow bands, etc. etc. I would argue that another would be the associated human migration. As eclipse day draws near, people from all over the globe begin congregating in the approximately 100 mile (150 km) wide path of totality. Where the shadow passes over the sea, people take to ships in order to position themselves well. Some people travel on their own, others join groups, tours, or expeditions. Continue Reading

Posted by BSJ on December 13, 2012 - 12:55pm

  • BSJ's blog

Citizen Sky has a New Home!

We are thrilled to annouce that Citizen Sky has a new permanent home at the AAVSO! Citizen Sky will be the hub of bright variable star activities at the AAVSO.  Currently these activites include binocular observing and DSLR observing but we have ideas for even more programs/projects. Continue Reading

Posted by RebeccaTurner on December 10, 2012 - 3:28pm

  • RebeccaTurner's blog
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »

Recent blog posts

  • Herb Luft's notebooks: new science from the AAVSO Archives
  • Charts and Sequences Team On A Mission
  • DSLR Workshop Wrap-Up
  • DSLR Manual Workshop: Day One
  • Recognition
  • My First Variable Star Observation
  • 25 Years of Membership
  • Measurable Progress
  • Chasing Shadows
  • Citizen Sky has a New Home!
more
Contact Us :: Join Us :: Donate
Stay Connected:
  • About Us
    • The Organization
      • Vision/Mission
      • What We Do
      • Services
      • Work & Research
      • Volunteer
      • History
      • The AAVSO Archives
      • By-Laws
      • Contact Us
    • The People
      • Council Members, Officers & Section Leaders
      • Staff
      • Honors & Awards
      • In Memoriam
    • Outreach
      • Presentation Library
      • Writers Bureau
      • Speakers Bureau
    • The Location
      • AAVSO Headquarters
      • Directions
      • Guest Suite
    • Our Publications
      • Annual Report
      • The Journal of the AAVSO
      • Alert and Special Notices
      • AAVSO Newsletter
      • Visual Observing Manual
      • CCD Observing Manual
      • Solar Bulletin
      • plus many more...
    • Apply for Membership
    • Renew Membership
    • Support the AAVSO
      • Funds
      • Amazon.com
      • Benefactors
    • AAVSO Store
    • Citizen Sky Project
  • Community
    • Meetings
    • Forums
    • Live Chat Room
    • Staff Blog
    • Social Media
  • Variable Stars
    • What Are They & Why Observe Them?
    • The Stories Variables Tell
    • Types of Variables
    • Variable Star of the Season
    • Education Materials
      • CHOICE Online Institute
      • Science Olympiad
      • Two Eyes, 3D
      • Variable Star Astronomy
      • H-R Diagram Plotting Activity
    • Reporting Variable Star Discoveries
    • Variable Star Index (VSX)
    • AAVSO in Print - Publications Using AAVSO Data
  • Observing
    • Observing at a Glance
    • Observing Sections
    • Observing Manuals
      • Visual Observing Manual
      • CCD Photometry Manual
      • DSLR Photometry Manual
    • Alert and Special Notices
    • Observing Campaigns
    • WebObs (Search AID or Submit Your Data)
    • Variable Star Charts
      • Variable Star Plotter (VSP)
      • Report Chart Errors
      • Request Comparison Stars
    • Observation Planner Tool
    • JD Calculator & Calendar
    • Software Directory
  • Data
    • AAVSO International Database (AID)
    • Portal for Researchers
    • Historic Light Curves
    • WebObs (Submit/Search Data)
    • Data Access
      • Download Data in Ascii Form
      • Light Curve Generator (LCG)
      • MyNewsFlash - Real-Time Data Delivery
      • WebObs Search (Searches AID)
    • Data Analysis
      • VPHOT - Online Photometry Tool
      • Zapper - Help Validate Data
      • VStar - Java Visualization & Analysis Tool
    • The AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey (APASS)
    • AAVSOnet
  • Getting Started
    • What Are Variable Stars?
    • Things to Do
    • Find a Mentor
    • Online Forum for Help and Advice
    • Star Tutorials
      • 10-Star Tutorial (Visual Observations of Variable Stars)
      • 5-Star Tutorial (Data Analysis)
AAVSO 49 Bay State Rd. Cambridge, MA 02138 aavso@aavso.org 617-354-0484
 

Sponsored By:

 

unihedron

Santa Barbara Instrument Group Swinburne Astronomy Online
 

Diffraction Limited

Put Your Logo Here ...

 

 

 

Donate to the AAVSO via Amazon.com