Understudied/Under observed Targets

Understudied/Under observed Targets:

From my position on the Sequence Team and judging by some of the requests that I receive for a sequence I suspect that some observers maybe presuming that because a target is in the VSX and because it might show only a few or no observations that it is automatically a worthy target.

Sometimes this may be truth and other times there is a good reason that a specific target is understudied.  I do not want to embarrass any observer so will avoid mentioning any specific requests or targets, however, I would like to encourage those who data mine for understudied/under observed targets to check the variable type and then to do some research regarding  that type of target before concluding that it is a worthwhile target for them to observe.

http://www.aavso.org/vsx/help/VariableStarTypeDesignationsInVSX.pdf [1]

The above link will take you to a pdf of descriptions of the various types of targets listed in the VSX.

Also, a great resource, in addition to a serach of the AAVSO site is the SAO/NASA document inquiry RE specfic targets or types.  You can seach by specific target names and or types and see what might be available.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html [2]

Having said this, it is not my intent to suggest which targets or worthy of observing and which are not, as I am not really qualified to make any such judgments.  It has been the history of our fine organization to not interfere with the target choices of observers.  Such choices should be left to the observer and I fully support this practice.  All I am suggesting is that with the understudied/under observed targets that the observer make an informed choice, whatever it might be.

I do sympathize with all observers as sometimes it is difficult to know what should be observed and we all want to feel like we are making important contributions (we are) and/or even maybe making a significant discovery along the way.

Ad Astra

Tim Crawford, CTX