The Second Annual AAVSO Symposium

Held in early August 2005, the second AAVSO symposium, entitled Cataclysmic Variables in the 21st Century: Observations from Earth and Space, was a great success. The symposium was held at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just down the road from AAVSO HQ. This one-day meeting gathered together experts in theory and observation of cataclysmic variables from greater New England's astronomical community to share new results and ideas on these important objects.

Speakers included Joseph Patterson (Columbia U.; co-founder, Center for Backyard Astrophysics), Paula Szkody (U. of Washington; AAVSO Council Member), AAVSO Director Arne Henden, Nada Jevtic (U. of Connecticut; Richard Stockon College of N.J.), and Margarita Karovska (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics).

All talks and posters have been invited to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the AAVSO, which will also feature discussion summaries and a symposium recap. Video of the selected talks will also be available on the AAVSO website in the coming months. Thanks to everyone who attented!