The Advancing Variable Star Astronomy book that chronicles the first 100 years of the AAVSO is now available as an Amazon Kindle e-book. Of course, hard copies are still available from the AAVSO for $80 (20% discount), while supplies last.
Many of you already know Donna Young. She became affiliated with the AAVSO in the mid-1990's when she led the effort, and was the primary author, of Hands On Astrophysics (HOA). HOA was a variable star science education curriculum developed mainly for high school audiences (but is used by some college and advanced middle school classrooms). 
AAVSO Newsletter 50, October 2011, is now online.
News and Announcements
| 29 November | Advancing Variable Star Astronomy available as a Kindle e-book |
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| 29 November | RASC Publishes David Levy's Log Books Online |
The RASC has just published a digital copy of David Levy's personal log books in PDF format: |
| 22 November | Meet Donna Young |
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| 20 November | Chat Transcript w/AAVSO President Dr. Mario Motta |
Update: The chat is over, but a transcript of the chat is available here. |
| 17 November | Charts and Sequences Update November 2011 |
Dear AAVSO Observers, |
| 09 November | Please Take Our Demographic Survey |
We are conducting a survey to learn more about the demographics of our members, observers and anyone affiliated with or interested in the AAVSO. Information may be used for purposes such as making strategic plans for the AAVSO, writing grant applications, planning observing campaigns, writing papers about our membership, etc. Identifiable survey data will never be shared with anyone outside of the AAVSO. |
| 07 November | ArXiv Preprint: Multiwavelength Campaign of Observations of AE Aqr |
Longtime friend of the AAVSO, Dr. Chris Mauche (Lawrence Livermore National Lab), has published a paper about AE Aqr in which he uses data from AAVSO observations. It was submitted for inclusion in the proceedings of the conference "The Golden Age of CVs and Related Objects".
The ArXiv link to the black/white paper is here.
But you can download the color paper directly here. The abstract: |
| 04 November | New eJAAVSO preprint: Periodicity Analysis of the Semiregular Variable Star EV Aquarii, by E. Terziev, J. R. Percy, A. A. Henden |
ej152: Periodicity Analysis of the Semiregular Variable Star |
| 02 November | Special Notice #262: Long-term monitoring of AGN targets extended |
November 2, 2011: The observing campaign described in AAVSO Alert Notice 443 (M. Templeton) has been extended through the end of November 2011. One of the original targets, NGC 6814, has been removed from the target list for the remainder of the campaign. |
| 02 November | Modern observations of Hubble's first-discovered Cepheid in M31 |
The paper "Modern observations of Hubble's first-discovered Cepheid in M31" has been accepted for publication to PASP, and is now available on arXiv.org. |
| 28 October | AAVSO Newsletter 50 now online |
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| 25 October | Alert Notice 450: Request for observations of SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 in support of HST observations |
October 25, 2011: Dr. Paula Szkody (University of Washington) has requested the help of AAVSO observers in monitoring the WZ Sge-type cataclysmic variable SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 (SDSS0804+51) in support of Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectroscopic observations scheduled for 20:52:40 - 23:32:35 2011 November 3 UT (the night of Wednesday, November 2/3) (JD 2455869.36991-.48096). Nightly observations are requested beginning immediately and continuing through November 30. |
| 25 October | Alert Notice 449: Outburst of the UGWZ Candidate BW Scl |
October 25, 2011 |
| 24 October | Reminder: Observing Challenges End Soon! | |
| 21 October | Special Notice #261: Outburst of the UGWZ Candidate BW Scl |
The short period cataclysmic variable BW Scl appears to be in outburst. The object was detected in outburst at m(vis)=9.6 by M. Linnolt on 2011 October 21.3146 (JD 2455855.8146), and confirmed by A. Plummer at m(vis)=9.4 on October 21.3424. Observations of this object are encouraged. The object has conflicting classifications in astronomical literature, but is probably a WZ Sge-type dwarf nova rather than a novalike variable. BW Scl is located at the following (J2000) coordinates: |
| 19 October | AAVSO 100th Anniversary Commemorative Posters |
By popular demand! A set of twenty pdf commemorative posters exhibited at AAVSO Headquarters is available for downloading from our ftp site. The posters show portraits of the AAVSO's Directors, Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers, Council members, and Staff from 1911 to 2011, and the top Visual, CCD, PEP, and Photographic/Photovisual observers. Click on the links below to download each poster. |
| 19 October | Deep light curve of GRB 110918A |
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| 18 October | Sky & Telescope to Celebrate Seventy Years! |
It's not only the AAVSO that is celebrating milestones this month. Our close personal friends, Sky & Telescope magazine is celebrating its 70th Anniversary in its own style. |
| 18 October | Group Photo from the AAVSO's 100th Anniversary Meeting |
Click on this link for a downloadable high-resolution group photo (1.7MB)
Click on this link for a downloadable KEY to the photo (877kb pdf)
Downloadable key includes list of those who attended but were not present for the photo |
| 09 October | New HQ Officially Dedicated |
The AAVSO's new headquarters was officially dedicated at a ceremony during the 100th Annual Meeting of the AAVSO, part of our 2011 centennial celebrations. The event was broadcast live on U-Stream. A video archive is still available on their servers. Sky & Telescope has a nice news article covering the dedication and events surrounding it. |
| 29 September | Charts and Sequences Update September 2011 |
The following stars (objects) have new or revised sequences as of September 29, 2011. Please update your charts if you observe any of these objects.
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| 26 September | New eJAAVSO preprint: Recent Minima of 146 EB Stars by G. Samolyk |
ej151: "Recent Minima of 146 Eclipsing Binary Stars" by G. Samolyk |
| 23 September | Astronomy Now Interview w/Williams and Saladyga |
Astronomy Now has posted an interesting dialog with the authors of Advancing Variable Star Astronomy: Tom Williams and Michael Saladyga. |
| 22 September | Special Notice 257: Reminder to observe V455 And for HST observations |
September 22, 2011: As detailed in AAVSO Alert Notice 448, Dr. Paula Szkody has requested monitoring of the WZ Sge-type cataclysmic variable V455 And through October 10. Observations tonight - September 22/23, tomorrow, and Saturday are crucial. |
| 16 September | Request to Take Astronomy Knowledge Survey |
Dear AAVSO Members and Observers, |
