Message from the Director

I am happy to share with you some highlights from my Annual report, which will appear in full in the Journal of the AAVSO, Volume 28, Number 2. Accomplishments for fiscal year 1998-1999 include:

• Posting over 1600 mostly Preliminary and reversed Preliminary charts (00 through 23 hours) on the web, bringing the total of charts on our website to over 2700;
• Putting the AAVSO Database on-line by enabling users to generate light curves of program stars and to superimpose an individual observer's variable star estimates on the light curve, right on the web;
• Participating in exciting satellite and ground-based observing programs;
• Responding to a record high number of requests for data, with significant numbers of requests coming through the web;
• Reaching another milestone in the number of observations;
• Streamlining data processing;
• Designing a more secure and robust web site;
• Expanding the dissemination of HOA both nationally and internationally, and receiving the endorsement of the United Nations for HOA.

• The data preocessing of our monthly data is all up to date. More and more of our observers are using the AAVSO data entry program to enter their observations and prepare their monthly reports.
  We greatly appreciate the efforts our observers are making in sending their monthly and nightly observations in standard format. I stress again to all our observers to send the monthly reports, even if they have submitted the nightly observations, for our new policy is to include in the AAVSO International Database only those observations that are sent monthly.
• Some AAVSO web site statistics for October 1, 1998, to October 1, 1999:
  • Total number of hits: 1,928,064
  • Average per day: 1,032
  • Number of visitors: 54,738 (a significant number of these are repeat visitors)
  • Pages downloaded: 893,488
• I am happy to report that this year we reached another observational milestone-the 9.5 millionth observation was made by Ferenc Puskas of Hungary with his observation of 1625+42 g Her at magnitude 5.5 on JD 2451342.5 (June 12, 1999).
• Some statistics on the observations we received this year:
  • Total number of observations: 340,604 (inner sanctums: 49,763)
  • Number of observers: 623
  • Grand total (since 1911): 9,516,987
  • Number of US observers: 203
  • Number of US observations: 117,435 (inner sanctums: 20,876)
  • Number of observers abroad: 420
  • Number of observations abroad: 223,169 (inner sanctums: 28,887)
  • Eclipsing Binary and RR Lyr observations: 25,317 by 66 observers
  • CCD observations: 20,498 by 32 observers (including 6019 observations of program stars)
  • PEP observations: 2,891 by 20 observers
  • Supernova searches: 867 by 4 observers
  • Nova searches: 10,089 by 5 observers
  • Sunspot estimates: 12,574 by 95 observers
  • SID detections: 968 by 15 observers
• Our top three observers for this fiscal year were Gary Poyner (England), 10,839 (7,204 inner sanctums); Georg Comello (The Netherlands), 11,523 (1,345 inner sanctums); and Danie Overbeek (South Africa), 12,525 (11 inner sanctums).
• We have responded to 284 requests for AAVSO data and information that have come directly to HQ, and we have provided data support for ground-based and satellite observations made with IOTA, ASCA, SAX, ISO, HST, EUVE, IUE, and POLAR.
  A significant number of astronomers are obtaining the data and information they need from the AAVSO News Flash, and/or other materials we have posted on the web, particularly the quick-look files, which contain nightly observations reported by our observers and which we update on the web every weekday. A significant number of both professional and amateur astronomers and students are sending their requests for data to HQ via the web. Since we added the capability of plotting a light curve on the web and then requesting the data automatically, if needed, we have received a significant increase in the number of requests from both professional and amateur astronomers and from students.
• To give you an idea of some of the ways in which AAVSO data-the data which you, our observers, contribute-are used, let me list some of the prestigious publications in which I, representing the AAVSO, am listed as a co-author.*
  1. "Multiwavelength Observations of the Symbiotic Star AG Dra during 1979-1995," in International Workshop: Supersoft X-Ray Sources, 259 (1996).
  2. "Anomalous Cooling of the Massive White Dwarf in U Geminorum Following a Narrow Dwarf Nova Outburst,"Astrophysical Journal, 496, 449 (1998).
  3. "Analysis of the Irregular Pulsations of AC Herculis," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 329, 147 (1998).
  4. "A Study of the Outbursts in SS Cygni," Astrophysical Journal, 505, 344 (1998).
  5. "Three Tests of the M Dependence of the AD Limit Cycle, Using Long-Term CV Photometry," in Wild Stars in the Old West: 13th North American Workshop on Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects, ASP Conference Series 137 (1998).
  6. "Trend Analysis of Long Period Variables," Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 30, 1322 (1998).
  7. "Pulsation of LPVs and HIPPARCOS Data," in A Half-Century of Stellar Pulsation Interpretations, ASP Conf. Series 135 (1998).
  8. "Long-Term Photometry of the Symbiotic Nova V1329 Cyg," Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso, 29, 1, 31 (1999).
  9. "The Light Curves of VY Scl Stars," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 305, 225L (1999).
  10. "X-Ray Observations through the Outburst Cycle of the Dwarf Nova YZ Cnc," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 346, 146 (1999).
  11. "Multiperiodicity in Semiregular Variables. I. General Properties," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 346, 542 (1999).
  12. "The X-Ray Spectra of VW Hydri during the Outburst Cycle," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 349, 588 (1999).
  13. "The Peculiar Binary V Sagittae: Properties of Its Long-Term Light Changes," Astronomy & Astrophysics, 139, 75 (1999).
• I had the opportunity of presenting several talks this year at a number of conferences and workshops. In addition to my activities, AAVSO staff member Michael Saladyga was invited to give a talk on the "pre-history" of the AAVSO from 1875 to 1911, and also on the current work of the AAVSO at a meeting of the Astronomical Society of Southern New England; and staff member Gamze Menali presented a poster paper at a pre-solar eclipse meeting at Firat University, in Elazig, Turkey, on the unique role of the AAVSO as the bridge between the activities of professional and amateur astronomers. AAVSO members Ray Berg, Dan Kaiser, John Percy, Gary Sampson, and Roger Kolman gave presentations on the AAVSO and HOA at various astronomical meetings.
• As for upcoming events, I am pleased to say that we have set up a Gamma Ray Network to search for optical counterparts of Gamma Ray Bursts. At our next Spring meeting, together with our colleagues at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, we will hold an exciting first-ever workshop on the High Energy Universe for amateur astronomers.
• Finally, here on the eve of the year 2000, on behalf of the Association and personally, I want to extend my appreciation and thanks to our dedicated, devoted, and untiring observers-623 of them around the world this year. Special thanks to all those who have contributed to News Flashes, and to special observing programs.

My sincere thanks and appreciation go to our Committee Chairpersons, Councilors, and Officers for their contributions in the running of each committee and of the Association.

My deepest thanks to the dedicated and hard-working Headquarters staff who assist me in the running of the Association

Last but not least, my personal thanks to my husband for his support and understanding.

I thank each of you for your valuable contributions and support. Truly, the members and observers are what make this Association great, and it is a privilege to work with you.

My best wishes to you and your loved ones for a wonderful New Year filled with health, happiness, and fulfillment.

[* Ed. note: The complete citations will be listed in Volume 28, No. 2 of the Journal, which is slated for publication in the spring of 2000.]