News and Announcements

Annual Report of the AAVSO for 2012-2013

http://www.aavso.org/annual-report

Predicted Dates of Maxima and Minima of 381 Long Period Variables for 2014

Registration is now open for three CHOICE courses being offered this spring.

CHOICE: How To Use VPHOT (March 17 - April 11)

CHOICE: Variable Star Classification and Light Curves (April 14 - May 9)

CHOICE: How To Use VStar (May 12 - June 6)

Courses are $30 for members and $50 for non-members.
(The VPHOT course is open to members only.)

February 7, 2014

Event: Outburst of the recurrent nova V745 Sco

Discovery by: Rod Stubbings (Tetoora Road, VIC, Australia)

Discovery magnitude: 9.0 (visual)

Discovery date: 2014 February 6.694 UT

Coordinates:  R.A. 17 55 22.27   Dec. -33 14 58.5  (2000.0)

February 6, 2014: Rod Stubbings (observer code SRX; Tetoora Road, Victoria, Australia) reports an outburst of the recurrent nova V0745 Sco (aka Nova Sco 1937). Stubbings reports the nova at a visual magnitude of 9.0 on 2014 February 6.694 UT (JD 2456695.194). He previously observed the field on 2014 February 5.696 and found the star fainter than 13.0, indicating that this outburst began within the past 24 hours.

The Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently honored AAVSO observers, Edward A. Halbach and William B. Albrecht, by naming two minor planets in their honor in January's Minor Planet Circular. 

January 22, 2014

Event: Supernova in M82 (Ursa Major) = PSN J09554214+6940260

Discovery by: Stephen J. Fossey (University College London Observatory)

Discovery magnitude: 11.7 V

Discovery date: 2014 January 21.81 UT

Coordinates: R.A. = 09 55 42.15, Decl.= +69 40 25.8 (2000.0)
PSN J09554214+6940260 is offset 54" west, 21" south from the nucleus of M82

We are approaching a milestone in the AAVSO International Database. Are you counting?

If you take a look at the observation total in the Recent Activity section of the AAVSO homepage, you will see that we will soon reach twenty-five million observations!

The AAVSO maintains several lists of stars for which observations are strongly encouraged.  These are primarily stars for which the AAVSO already has well-covered light curves spanning several decades or longer, and for which we deem there is value in continuing observations indefinitely.

I have been with the AAVSO for two and a half years as the Administrative Assistant.  And what an adventure it has been!  I've been to three fall meetings, including the Centennial.  I’ve experienced the introduction of CHOICE courses, the Adopt A Variable Star Program (AAVSP), and the move to the online forums.  I’ve worked with our publications, our store, our website, and our social media.  I’ve biked to HQ in pouring rain and slippe

December 19, 2013: IAU CBET 3762 (Daniel W. E. Green, Ed.) announces the discovery of Supernova 2013hn in IC 4329 by Ella Sanders Kot and R. Kot (Truth or Consequences, NM) and D. Coffin (University of Iowa) at unfiltered magnitude 15.2 on 2013 December 13.544 UT using the 0.37-m f/14 Rigel telescope at the Iowa Robotic Observatory near Sonoita, AZ. E. S. Kot adds that a follow-up image taken on December 16.53 shows SN 2013hn at mag 14.8 U (position end figures 59.19s, 26.9").