For immediate release

Media Contact:
Travis Searle
617-354-0484, travis@aavso.org

Spanish translation of press release (pdf)

The American Association of Variable Star Observers has purchased the former headquarters of Sky & Telescope and Night Sky magazines. This property, at 49 Bay State Road in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is about one hundred feet from the current AAVSO headquarters. The move doubles the AAVSO's available square footage, providing space for the association to grow. The AAVSO turns 100 years old in 2011, and this new building forms the foundation of AAVSO's growth plans for its second century of operation.

49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

The new facility will be named the Clinton B. Ford Astronomical Data and Research Center after the AAVSO's former association secretary and long-time benefactor. Building dedication will take place on April 1, 2007. This over 9000 square foot building will house a research library, including the Charles Y. McAteer Collection, as well as dedicated workspace for visiting students, researchers, and members. Most importantly, the new facility will provide above-ground storage for the AAVSO's extensive archive and the International Database of variable star observations.

Acquiring the new building: inspection, signing (it's official!), and receiving of the deed.

"Our archive and the International Database are our greatest resources," says AAVSO Director Dr. Arne Henden. "They trace more than one hundred years of our achievements in science and the new facilities will make them safe and accessible for generations to come."

The AAVSO's archive includes tens of thousands of historical observing logs, association papers, and correspondence between AAVSO staff members and members of the astronomical community. The International Database contains over 13.7 million variable star observations spanning more than 100 years. Together, these two libraries of information form the cornerstone of the AAVSO's science and history. Currently, the archive is in a basement storage facility and the database servers are in the corner of a staff office. The new facilities will allow both these resources to reside in dedicated, above ground, environmentally controlled areas.

In addition to providing expanded facilities for the AAVSO's collections, the new facility also provides more office space for staff and visiting professional and amateur researchers. The AAVSO sponsors two programs for individuals to do research at their headquarters. The Janet A. Mattei Research Fellowship provides a visiting scientist, postdoctoral researcher, or advanced student funding to visit and perform research at AAVSO Headquarters. The Margaret W. Mayall Assistantship provides summer assistantships to high school and college students interested in learning about astronomy and data processing (1). In the new facility, both these positions will have permanent, dedicated office space. Additional space will be set-aside for short-term visiting researchers to collaborate with staff on individual projects.

"The AAVSO seeks to become the world recognized leader in information and data on variable stars," says Henden. "This building is part of making that vision a reality. It will provide a dynamic and spacious environment for research. Staff and visiting collaborators will benefit from all the technological advantages of a modern facility."

Information on applying for Mattei and Mayall visiting positions is available on the AAVSO website, http://www.aavso.org. Individuals wishing to utilize materials in the AAVSO library, archive, or International Database in person can do so by appointment.

The 49 Bay State Road facility has a long history of serving the astronomical community. Purchased in 1955 by then Sky and Telescope editor Charles A. Federer, the original house was converted to offices for both Federer and his magazine. By 1958, Sky and Telescope had migrated its entire staff from its original headquarters at Harvard College Observatory to its Bay State Road location. In addition to the original building, they also purchased two buildings across the street, creating a three building complex. For the past 48 years, Sky and Telescope and its associated publications, including Night Sky magazine, have been produced at that location under the corporate umbrella of Sky Publishing. In February 2006, Sky Publishing was purchased by New Track Media, LLC, and in October, the publications' staff moved to new facilities about a mile away.

Building the 49 Bay State Building Annex in 1956, Images courtesy of Sky Publishing/Dennis di Cicco. Recent Aerial photograph: by Dennis di Cicco.

"It is good to see this building staying in the astronomical community," says AAVSO council member Dr. Pamela L. Gay. "Sky and Telescope has been a cornerstone publication of the astronomical community and moving into their building feels like moving into the old family homestead of the amateur astronomy family." AAVSO 2nd Vice President, Dr. Jaime Garcia of Argentina, stated today that "our Centenary is approaching and we have the challenge of growing and improving our leadership in amateur-professional collaborations. Therefore, it is wisest to have a new and large place with plenty of history, for facing that challenge."

This is not the first time the AAVSO and Sky and Telescope have played follow-the-leader with their organizational headquarters. Both organizations were initially housed at Harvard College Observatory, with the AAVSO residing at HCO from 1918 until 1953, and Sky and Telescope having staff housed at HCO from 1941 until 1958. The two organizations also both housed staff in adjoining offices at non-adjoining times on Concord Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sky and Telescope had offices at 186 Concord Ave from the winter of 1952-53 until 1958, and AAVSO was headquartered at 187 Concord Ave from 1965 until 1985.

The AAVSO turns 100 years old in 2011. This building purchase is an early birthday present from the AAVSO to itself. Individuals and corporations wishing to give the AAVSO a birthday gift or housewarming gift of their own should visit the AAVSO's homepage at www.aavso.org and click on Donate.

Founded in 1911, the American Association of Variable Star Observers is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the study of variable stars. The AAVSO focuses their efforts in three directions: the observation and analysis of variable stars, motivating and mediating professional-amateur astronomy collaborations, and data archiving. Each year, AAVSO members on five continents acquire over one million data points on variable stars that are used in hundreds of scientific publications around the world.

(1) M.W. Mayall directed the AAVSO from 1949 to 1973 and J.A. Mattei was AAVSO director from 1974 to 2004.