Read Me File for NMO Planning Tool

The NMO (Needs More Observations) Planning Tool is a table containing information on stars from the AAVSO Bulletin 71 - Predicted Dates of Maxima and Minima of Long Period Variables for 2008. The stars in this table have few observations for last year in the AAVSO International Database. Thus, they need more observations to make their light curves more complete. The NMO table is offered as a planning tool only, and does not infer that these stars are necessarily "priority targets".

NMO stars are sorted by their current observed magnitudes from AAVSO Quick Look data. Stars brighter than 13.5V are designated B for brighter. Stars fainter than 13.5V are designated F for fainter. Stars with no data available in the Quick Look files are designated NA. Stars with observations more than 30 days old are designated O. Each of these categories is then listed by constellation in order of increasing RA.

In the 'notes' column, stars are designated "conjunction" if they are in or approaching conjunction with the sun. Observations of stars setting shortly after sunset are important to help fill in seasonal gaps in the data. Conversely, stars that are coming out of conjunction and are visible before dawn are designated "morning". Observations of these stars are important to fill in seasonal gaps in the data also.

We encourage visual observers to obtain positive estimates of the stars brighter than 13.5V first, and then move on to other targets. CCD observers and visual observers with large aperture telescopes are encouraged to go after the objects fainter than 13.5V. Any observations of stars with old or no data are useful.