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09 May Chat Transcript - History of the AAVSO

The following is a chat transcript from May 9, 2011. The topic of the chat was the History of the AAVSO and variable star observing with guests Dr. Mike Saladyga and Dr. Tom Williams. Some footnotes are at the bottom.

<DocKQR> Hello Folks!
29 April AAVSO HQ Job Position: Administrative Assistant

The American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) is looking
for an administrative assistant with immediate availability. The ideal
candidate will work well in a team environment, but demonstrate
initiative and perseverance. The AAVSO is a small non-profit in the
Fresh Pond area of Cambridge, serving a membership of amateur
astronomers across the world who wish to contribute scientific
observations of stars that vary in brightness. We are celebrating our
29 April Mira Variables with Period Changes

Mira variables are the longest-observed class of stars for which we have long-term quantitative data that allow us to study their behavior over centuries-long periods of time.  Fortunately for us, they're also easy to observe and monitor, having some of the largest amplitudes of all variables, and hundreds of them are bright enough that they're within reach of astronomers with modest telescopes.
28 April AAVSO Joins Virtual Observatory VOEvents Stream

Its an old story that astronomy is being drowned in data and its only getting worse. We have needed a "central clearing house" of sorts and the Virtual Observatory aims to be one solution in this vein.

Astronomers have also experimented with various methods of alerting interested people as to events as they happen and when they need to be followed up on. This is the concept behind VOEvents.
28 April AAVSO Alert Notice 439

Correction to AAVSO Alert Notice 438 on SN 2011by

 
28 April AAVSO Alert Notice 438

SUPERNOVA 2011by in NGC 3972 = PSN J11554556+5519338
27 April New ejaavso preprint "Leo5 is a Z Cam Type Dwarf Nova" by P. Wils, T. Krajci, and M. Simonsen

ej 142: "Leo5 is a Z Cam Type Dwarf Nova" (P. Wils, T. Krajci, M. Simonsen)

http://www.aavso.org/ejaavso142
20 April Visual Observing Manual updates

The Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars has been updated to reflect changes to the VSP and WebObs that happened when the new website was launched last summer. This mostly affects Chapters 2 and 7. To download these and other chapters, or the entire Manual, please click on the link below:

http://www.aavso.org/visual-observing-manual

You will also find versions of the Manual translated into seven other languages on this page.

Stay tuned for the Portuguese verson, due to be completed soon!
15 April AAVSO Newsletter 48 now online

http://www.aavso.org/aavso-newsletter
15 April AAVSO Alert Notice 437

Campaign to monitor the recurrent nova T Pyx throughout 2011 eruption

April 15, 2011:  Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 436, a fast photometry observing campaign has been initiated by Dr. Bradley Schaefer (Louisiana State University) to monitor the recurrent nova T Pyxidis throughout its current eruption.
14 April Alerta de AAVSO 436

Erupción de la nova recurrente T Pyxidis
14 de abril de 2011

La nova recurrente T Pyxidis ha sido descubierta en erupción. Fue detectada por M. Linnolt (Hawaii, Estados Unidos) con magnitud visual 13.0 en abril 14.2931, 2011 (JD 2455665.7931), y confirmada por A. Plummer (m(vis)=12.2, JD 2455665.8847) y S. Kerr (m(vis)=11.3, JD 2455665.9410).  Esta es la primer erupción de T Pyx desde el 7 de diciembre de 1966, hace casi 45 años. Se solicitan urgentemente observaciones de esta rara variable eruptiva, comenzando inmediatamente.
14 April AAVSO Alert Notice 436

Outburst of the recurrent nova T Pyx
06 April New ejaavso preprint: "Times of Minima and New Ephemerides..." by A. Marchini et al.

ej 141: "Times of Minima for Several Eclipsing Binaries and New Ephemerides for V569 Lyrae, V571 Lyrae, and V572 Lyrae" (A. Marchini et al.)

http://www.aavso.org/ejaavso141
03 April AAVSO Alert Notice 435

V5588 SGR = NOVA SAGITTARII 2011 No. 2 = PNV J18102135-2305306

Apri1 3, 2011

Event: V5588 SGR = NOVA SAGITTARII 2011 No. 2 = PNV J18102135-2305306

Discovered by: Koichi Nishiyama, Kurume, Japan, and Fujio Kabashima, Miyaki, Japan

Discovery Date: ~ 2011 March 27.832 UT
02 April AAVSO Special Notice #238

HST observations scheduled for GW Lib

01 April Charts and Sequences Update April 2011

April 1, 2011

The following variable stars have either new or revised sequences and charts. If you observe any of these stars you should update your charts to the most recent version. 

Thank you, 
The AAVSO Charts and Sequences Team 

 

Name

Constellation

Change

LX
31 March How to report new variable star discoveries

What do I do when I discover a new variable star?

(Jump to Reporting Possible Nova Discoveries)
30 March AAVSO Alert Notice 434

Outburst of NSV 1436

The cataclysmic variable NSV 1436 has been discovered in outburst.  This is the first bright outburst of this star observed since 1948, and followup observations are strongly encouraged.  Little is known about the nature of NSV 1436, and observations may help shed light on whether the star is an infrequently outbursting normal dwarf nova, a WZ Sge star, or recurrent nova.

28 March AAVSO Special Notice #237

NOVA SAGITTARII 2011 No. 2 = PNV J18102135-2305306
21 March Edward A. Halbach, 1909-2011

http://www.aavso.org/pipermail/aavso-discussion/2011-March/024796.html
21 March Last Chance! Help us plan for the 100th Annual Meeting of the AAVSO

Hello AAVSOers!

If you have not already completed the survey, please help us to plan for the Centennial Annual Meeting by answering these 10 questions.
20 March AAVSO Alert Notice 433

Request for observations of GW Lib in support of HST observations

March 20, 2011: Dr. Paula Szkody, University of Washington, has requested our help in monitoring the cataclysmic variable GW Lib for upcoming Hubble Space Telescope observations, scheduled to be made during the week of 2011 April 7-11 UT. Dr. Szkody also observed this object with HST in March 2010 (see AAVSO Alert Notice 417).
16 March Centennial Celebration Update March 2011

We are nearing the end of the first quarter of our centennial year. This is a good time to take a look at what has transpired thus far and what is yet to come.

Observer Challenges

http://www.aavso.org/centennial-observer-challenges

The Twenty Million and Counting! Contest is over now that the database has passed this milestone. The winner, with the prediction closest to the actual day of the milestone was Christopher Watson of San Diego, California.
16 March New ejaavso preprint: "Orbital Period of Three Cataclysmic Variables" by P. Wils

ej 140: "The Orbital Period of Three Cataclysmic Variables From WASP Data" (P. Wils)

http://www.aavso.org/ejaavso140
14 March AAVSO Alert Notice 432

SUPERNOVA 2011at = PSN J09285756-1448206  in MCG -02-24-27
AAVSO 49 Bay State Rd. Cambridge, MA 02138 aavso@aavso.org 617-354-0484